


DEVIL'S RELEASE

by ceruleantwin



Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Asshole tendencies, Coercion, Emotional Manipulation, Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, Nero and Vergil aren't related at all, Nero suffers a lot, Non-Graphic Violence, Not Incest, Somewhat Non-Con, lots of taking advantage of, mental manipulation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-03-17
Packaged: 2019-10-10 00:04:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 86,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17415143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ceruleantwin/pseuds/ceruleantwin
Summary: Nero discovers the truth about Yamato and his Devil Trigger, and maybe something more... Vergil x Nero pairing[OLD FIC]





	1. Loss

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is from 2010, I'm just posting it here now for the heck of it.  
> This story does NOT contain incest - Vergil and Nero have no relation whatsoever in this story.  
> This story DOES contain several problematic behaviors and situations, because Vergil is a manipulative bastard, so please be warned.  
> Tags and Warnings may increase as the story goes - I tried to cover everything I could think of but I may have forgotten how bad some parts actually are.  
> Every FOURTH chapter is told from Vergil's POV, just so there's no confusion. I will not really be including author's notes to clarify this.  
> I finished this a while back, but I never wrote the epilogue for it - I might do that if I stop being lazy, but it's "complete" as is.  
> Also please remember this story is like a DECADE old so please don't judge it too harshly lmao. I'm not updating/rewriting it, just correcting any spelling errors and stuff I happen to notice.

Nero wasn't sure if it was the nightmare he'd been having, or the cry of pain he'd heard that had awoken him at this hour, only realizing it was himself who'd been screaming because of how raw his throat felt. The rest of the house was silent except for the harsh sounds of the demon hunter struggling to catch his breath, clutching his Devil Bringer to his chest as the limb emitted a soft glow. Nero could feel the power of the Yamato tingling inside of his arm and frowned. The light faded quickly enough though, as if it had never been there in the first place. The teenager wrinkled his brow, shaking it off as nothing more than a reaction to his bad dream, which had been frightening enough to rouse him from a deep slumber at three am.

 

The boy shook his head, sighing softly as he twisted his body in the bed and let his feet touch down against the cool wooden floor. He winced as the floor issued a loud creak in protest as he climbed from his bed, hoping he hadn't woken Kyrie sleeping in the next room.

 

_"Kyrie..."_ Nero frowned, thinking of the copper-haired young woman currently slumbering on the other side of his bedroom wall. For a short while the two of them had been nearly inseparable, practically glued at the hip after the entire Sanctus ordeal, but lately they seemed to be drifting further and further apart, and now Kyrie had moved back into her own bedroom. Nero could only assume it had something to do with the fact that in another few weeks it would be the one year anniversary of Credo's death. The devil hunter just shook his head again and headed into the kitchen, suddenly feeling dehydrated.

 

Nero dragged himself over to the kitchen sink, splashing his face with the icy water from the tap as he tried to clear his head. Glancing towards Kyrie's closed bedroom door, Nero had to wonder if maybe he should just come right out and confront her about their recent relationship troubles. He honestly hadn't thought much about it until the previous day when he'd told her he loved her on his way out of the door and she had only smiled sadly in response.

 

_'If that's not a red flag then I don't know what is...'_ he sighed, letting the freezing water fill his cupped hands and taking a sip. Nero frowned as he tried to avoid looking at Kyrie's door again and wandered back into his bedroom, perching on the edge of his bed.

 

Feeling a bit more awake now and not wanting to dwell on his romantic troubles, the platinum haired teen instead turned his attention to why he was even awake in the first place.

 

"I'm gettin' a bit old for nightmares..." he snorted, shaking his head lightly. Nero pursed his lips, flexing his Devil Bringer's fingers in the dim moonlight streaming in through his bedroom window. This was at least the tenth time just in the past month that he'd woken up from some nightmare he couldn't quite remember. The little details he could recall were always the same though, he was in an unfamiliar place, it was dark and hot, and he was certain that something was there in his dream, moving in for the kill, but he could never remember much of anything else when he would wake up. Nero wondered if it had something to do with his use of his Devil Trigger as he eyed his demonic arm, which he'd been using more than usual lately to deal with the larger demons he was encountering during his clean up of the city and the surrounding area.

 

Trying to shake off the thoughts, Nero stretched back out on his mattress, yanking the covers up over himself as he tried to shake off the night's troubles. Eventually he drifted off once more, thankfully being spared the horrors of his dreams for the rest of the night.

 

The smell of breakfast was the first thing Nero noticed as he cracked his eyes open in the morning light, stifling a yawn as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. The teen rolled out of the bed, not bothering to tug on a shirt as he lumbered to the kitchen in search of his morning meal. Kyrie was standing in front of the stove, placing the last of the bacon she was frying onto a plate next to her. Nero stepped up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist, placing a light kiss on her cheek.

 

"Mornin'," he said sleepily, trying to mask how tired he was from his lack of sleep. Kyrie just gave him a thin, tired smile, and moved the plate to the table with the rest of the food. Feeling as if he'd done something wrong, Nero backed off and took his seat. After several minutes of relative silence during their meal, Nero tried for the third time that morning to start a conversation.

 

"I had that dream again... but I still can't remember much of it, and Yamato was itching to come out again," he said, earning a weary glance from Kyrie.

 

"...Maybe you should try and find a book about it in the Order's library," she suggested, frowning a bit. Nero returned the frown; he wasn't a big fan of reading, and certainly not of the Order of the Sword, or what was left of it. Despite saving their asses, everyone in Fortuna still seemed to avoid Nero as if he was diseased. Instead of protesting, Nero caught the tired tone in her voice and just nodded.

 

"Alright, I'll do that later today," he agreed, giving up on their conversation for the rest of the meal. It was long after the sun had set that an exhausted and rather pissed off Nero dragged himself back home, grumbling as he shut the door behind him and flopped down on the couch.

 

"What a waste of time," he growled, crossing his arms over his chest. Nero had spent hours scouring over any and every book he could find about dreams, nightmares, demons that had effects on them, devil triggering, and everything in between. He didn't find any answers though, other than that whatever was in his dream must have been important to keep recurring the way it did; like he needed a book to tell him that.

 

What bothered Nero the most was that when he was dreaming, the place felt so real, like a memory rather than something his subconscious made up in his sleep. He just wished he could remember more; the most important details always slipping away just before he could realize what they were. Giving up for the night, Nero sighed and trudged into his bedroom, hoping tonight would be more restful than the previous one.

 

Nero was beginning to think his luck had changed, and that the nightmares were gone for good as more than a week passed and he continued to enjoy peaceful nights without the all too familiar dream intruding on his slumber, even with his regular use of Yamato. It was around two thirty in the morning on one such night that Nero found himself walking down the same dark, twisted corridor, jets of black flame flicking out past him as he continued to wander. The place seemed so much more real this time and Nero could clearly feel the slight rumbling of the floor beneath his feet as something approached him. Up ahead he spotted three glowing orbs near the top of a dark mass, though he couldn't quite make out what it was. All Nero knew was that whatever it was, he felt the urge to attack it, and before he had time to think, his body was sprinting towards the unknown creature.

 

The devil hunter was amazed to find that instead of Red Queen, it was Yamato that was clutched in his hands, and that even what he could see of his clothes seemed different. However, Nero didn't have time to dwell on these new revelations as a woman with blond hair suddenly appeared in front of him, her back facing towards him. Something constricted in his chest as the woman slowly turned to face him, and just as Nero was about to get a good look at her face, blinding pain exploded through his body. Nero felt his arm reaching for the woman before him, almost desperately as he lost his footing and the world turned black.

 

"Mother..." he choked out, feeling something within him shatter before losing consciousness completely.

 

The next thing Nero knew he was opening his eyes to find himself alone in his bed, clutching his chest as he remembered the wounds from his dream. The teen tore out of his room and threw himself into the bathroom, losing the previous night's dinner in the toilet as he collapsed on the floor. It had all seemed so real, so horrible, and Nero swore he could still feel the pain in his chest, though he couldn't see any marks. After his stomach had finally finished emptying itself and he felt like he could walk once more, he stood up and rinsed his mouth out, grimacing at the pale coloring in his face. Nero dragged himself out of the bathroom, wanting to talk to Kyrie about the new additions to his nightmare.

 

"Kyrie?" he called out, knocking on her bedroom door and finding it empty. Nero was a bit worried when she didn't answer him, and when he found her on her way out of the front door, bags in hand, Nero forgot all about the dream and could only utter one word in his shocked state.

 

"Why?"

 

Kyrie turned to him, tears leaking down her cheeks as she shook her head.

  
"I can't do this anymore... I can't stand the sight of you, it hurts every time I think of him, and you... _you did it,_ " she choked out, tears escaping more freely now. Nero reached out to her, but Kyrie stepped back away from him, shaking her head. "You killed him Nero... I can't... I hate you for it," she sniffled and turned away, running with her bags in hand from the home they had shared together for so long, leaving him completely and utterly alone.


	2. Awakening

"Mother…" he cried out, reaching towards the woman as his vision faded and his world was filled with pain. Nero's torso snapped upright in the bed as he awoke abruptly from his nightmare, the same nightmare he'd been having occasionally for months now, the same nightmare he'd been having every single night for the past two weeks. 

 

The young devil hunter shook his head in the darkness, clearing his eyes of the damp locks now clinging to his skin as he took in several sharp breaths. He wasn't sure how much longer he could go on like this, Nero had barely had any sleep for the past two weeks, the nightmares doing nothing to help his heartbreak over Kyrie just walking out on him the way she did. He was lost, crushed, and alone, and there wasn't a soul around to comfort him. Kyrie was never coming back, any of the citizens of Fortuna who had tolerated him for her sake now seemed to have turned against him completely, and even Dante hadn't been heard from in over a month.

 

"Dante _ …" _ Nero sighed, shaking his head. His pride, what little he had left, just wouldn't let the boy confide in the elder hunter, it was just too childish in his opinion. Besides, he figured Dante had more pressing issues to deal with than some played out teenage love story and a few bad dreams. 

 

_ 'Only they're not just dreams… and definitely not just a few,'  _ Nero chided himself in his mind, the logical part of his brain trying to reason with him to seek some help from someone older and wiser.  _ 'Well, I don't know about wiser,' _ he snorted, shaking his head.

 

Nero frowned and bit his lip, finally giving in and picking up his cell phone from the nightstand. He silently punched in the numbers, unsure of why he was even bothering to call. Not to mention the fact that Dante would either be too drunk or too pissed to want to talk at this late hour. The phone rang a few times before it went to voicemail, the cocky older hunter's voice coming through the line to inform Nero and any other callers that he wasn't available, and was way more 'awesome' than them as well. 

 

Sighing loudly, Nero hung up the phone and tossed the useless device aside, flopping back heavily against his pillows. The teenager yawned, feeling the exhaustion hit him like a brick wall once more. After all, he had been missing out on so much sleep lately with everything that happened, and right now he just couldn't seem to keep his eyes open, despite his current troubles.

 

The platinum haired teen opened his eyes, fully expecting to find himself back in the usual place that his nightmare took him to. Instead, Nero was shocked to find that this dream was something new, entirely different than any of his previous dreams. Taking a hesitant step forward, Nero surveyed his surroundings with interest. He seemed to be in an area made of the most brilliant white and black marble imaginable, except that the floor was swapped with the ceiling. Ornate statues beautiful enough to put any in Fortuna to shame adorned the 'floor' above him, a soft, soothing light radiating from some place in the distance. A chandelier protruded upside down from the stone beneath Nero's feet, and the demon slayer found himself blinking in surprise at what he was seeing.

 

Nero continued taking in the new location, completely fascinated as he discovered that the statues above him were actually giant chess pieces, and that the ceiling appeared to be an enormous chessboard that stretched across the roof until it warped and twisted into a blur of black and white. 

 

"Whoa… pretty freaky," he mumbled, letting his fingers trail along the cool metal surface of the nearest chandelier. Nero kept wandering through the upside down room until something ahead of him caught his attention. Curiosity piqued, the young devil hunter made a beeline for the object, which was lying in the middle of the floor. He bent down, eyes widening as he took in the sight before him. Laying there in all of its simple magnificence was Yamato.

 

Nero crouched down, gently picking up the precious blade as if it were made of glass. Before he could even wonder what the weapon was doing there, the blade cracked across the middle, crumbling to dust in his hands before Nero could even blink at what had just happened. 

 

"What the hell?!" he cried out, not understanding what had just occurred. Nero stared blankly at the slightly shimmering pile of dust covering his hands and the floor before him that was once his beloved Devil Arm, unable to comprehend why the blade had disintegrated the way that it had. Closing his eyes in an attempt to gather his thoughts and understand, the demon hunter exhaled loudly and closed his fists around the remnants of Yamato in anger, wanting to fling the particles away in his confused rage. However, before Nero could do any such thing, something else caught his attention, causing the boy's eyelids to snap open, surprise showing on his face.

 

The teen blinked, his bright blue eyes widening in shock as he stared down at his hands. Instead of the dusty shards of Yamato he had previously been holding, there was now an icy blue cloth in his grip. Nero's gaze followed the material upward, the surprise clearly written on his face as the material turned out to be a long cloak. An imposing figure stood inches from Nero, clothed in the silky garment the teen was clutching onto and staring down at the boy. Whoever it was seemed to be male, the broad shoulders and the way he held himself giving his gender away, even though the stranger did not utter a word, or even seem to breathe. The teen opened his mouth to speak as the figure raised its hand and placed it on his shoulder, causing everything to fade into black instantly.

 

The next thing Nero knew, he was opening his eyes in his bedroom in Fortuna. Noticing that daylight was now streaming in through the windows, Nero pushed himself up in his bed and sighed. He honestly didn't know what to make of the dream, but it was better than his previous ones, though the destruction of Yamato still worried him. 

 

_ 'And that guy… totally weird,' _ the teen frowned to himself. Shaking the thoughts free of his head, Nero climbed out of bed and commenced his usual routine of getting ready in the morning. There were still plenty of demons roaming about, even now, and Nero was itching to work out some frustrations on the bastards.

 

It wasn't until the sky was dark that Nero stumbled into his home, locking the door behind him as he poured himself into his bed, welcoming the sweet embrace of the mattress. Nero had to admit that he'd overdone it a bit today, feeling extra tired from excessive use of Yamato. It wasn't that the platinum haired devil hunter had really needed the power with the lower level demons he had encountered, but after his disturbing dream it just felt good to feel the blade's power coursing through him. It wasn't warm, Yamato never was, and in fact it was as if ice water had been injected into his veins, but the feeling was still comforting, safe, and it made Nero feel like all of his troubles would disappear with one simple slash of the blade. Even now Nero could feel the Devil Arm tingling inside of his Devil Bringer, and the thought brought a tiny smile to his face for the first time in weeks.

 

Nero's sleep was relatively peaceful that night, the dream replaying itself in his mind, and cutting off for the second time as the unknown male placed a hand on his shoulder. He awoke, shaking off the dream as he went through his daily routine and returned home hours later, seeking the mattress for comfort, and once again, the process repeated itself. 

 

This cycle went on for another week, Nero finding some sort of solace in his upside down dream world, waking up before he could question the mysterious man about Yamato every single time. It wasn't the crumbling blade that bothered Nero, after all the blade had been broken once, yet now resided fully restored within his arm, it was the fact that he didn't understand why it was happening. Was it some sort of ominous sign of things to come, or just another unexplained occurrence in his ever twisted dreams?

 

Nero had once again reached the point in his dream where the stranger had reached out and placed his hand on his shoulder, and he inwardly sighed as he waited for the overwhelming blackness to carry him back to consciousness. Needless to say, the teen was surprised when it didn't come. The hand lingered on his shoulder for a moment, Nero only now finally noticing how cold it felt, like a living block of ice resting its hand on him. The young devil hunter glanced up in surprise, unable to make out the man's face beneath his hood. 

 

Nero opened his mouth to question the other male, but the words were lost in his throat as the sound of wind gently whistling by filled the silence, and Yamato appeared in the grip of the man's free hand. He stared at the blade for a while, even after the freezing hand had left his shoulder and the man had turned away.

 

Shaking his head clear of his initial shock, Nero jumped to his feet and narrowed his eyes. 

 

"Hey wait a damned minute!" he called out, glaring at the man's back. "What the hell was that all about?!" he demanded, feeling a little disturbed at what had just happened. Nero wanted an explanation, this was getting way too weird, and he was starting to think that he would have preferred to have the old dreams back again in place of this, at least those were upfront about what they were showing him.  

 

The figure didn't respond with words, but as he glanced back he acknowledged that he had at least heard Nero speak. Now maybe he would get some answers. After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Nero assumed that the man wasn't about to give him a response, and he growled loudly. 

 

"I'm talking to you, damn it!" Nero snapped, stomping his way over with the intention of wrenching the blade from the stranger's grip. If he didn't want to explain, then Nero saw no reason to trust the man with such a powerful weapon, even if it was just a dream.

 

He growled again as he reached out to grab Yamato from the man and felt an explosive pain shoot through his right arm. Before Nero could even think to let go of the blade, his eyes focused on the ceiling of his bedroom, lit up brightly by the harsh light streaming from his Devil Bringer as the arm pulsed with light, a searing pain shooting through it making it feel like the limb was scorching him from the inside. Nero moaned in agony as the pain refused to leave for several minutes, until it finally ebbed away and left the boy panting heavily in his bed, wondering what had happened.

 

Amidst the confusion, Nero felt certain of one thing, Yamato was connected to his dreams in a major way, how exactly, he wasn't sure yet. But there was one thing that he was sure of, the man in his dreams knew something, and Nero intended to find out just what it was, no matter what it took. 

 

Nero sighed loudly in a mixture of exhaustion and frustration, dragging himself into the kitchen to splash water on his face. Just how many more nights would he have to endure this torture before he got the answers he was looking for?


	3. Contract

Over the course of the next three days, Nero had learned a very important lesson in his dream; if he attempted to take Yamato from the man in the blue cloak, he was going to suffer for it. For the past three days, Nero had tried questioning the mysterious man now haunting his dreams, but all he ever received in response was a cold silence and a burning pain whenever he touched the weapon the stranger now possessed. The teen just didn't understand; Yamato had never resisted him before, even now when he used it in battle the weapon responded to his will, but in his dream world he couldn't so much as touch the blade. 

 

The man never answered Nero when the boy spoke, and he never removed his hood, his appearance always kept hidden beneath the icy blue material. Despite the fact that Nero had never seen the man's face, the young devil hunter couldn't help but to think that the man seemed familiar, like an old friend he'd known for ages.

 

Now, for the fourth night in a row, Nero had reached the limit of his patience with the man's silence and angrily reached for the sword the man held. His fingers a fraction of an inch from the weapon, Nero suddenly stopped as he remembered the previous nights' pain, deciding to try a different tactic instead. He circled around in front of the man and held out his hand. 

 

"The name's Nero," he said, introducing himself. The demon hunter didn't know why, but he had this strange feeling like he had been offending the man before, the figure always having been standing there as if Nero's very presence was irritating him. Nero figured that if maybe he could act civilized and polite for once in his life, it might get him somewhere. And he was right.

 

The figure in the cloak eyed Nero for a few moments, or at least, he assumed the man did, since Nero couldn't actually see his face. After what seemed like forever, the mysterious man slowly extended his hand and gripped the teen's, nearly freezing Nero to the core at the touch. The teen shivered a bit, goosebumps rising on his skin as the hand released his own. 

 

"Vergil," the stranger spoke. His voice was smooth and icy, seeming to leave a chill in the air.  Nero blinked, shaking off the deep freeze the man had instilled in him as he took in the name. 

 

"Vergil…" he repeated to himself quietly, thinking that the name seemed to fit the frosty creature before him. Nero stared at the man for a while, still surprised that he had actually introduced himself; something about Vergil gave the impression that he wasn't a people-person. 

 

Running a hand through his snow white locks and shaking them loose a bit nervously as he realized he had been staring, Nero turned his attention away from the man's face and shifted a bit on his feet. Nero blinked and glanced up in surprise as Vergil's voice suddenly cut through the silence.

 

"Why are you here?" the man asked him, causing Nero to frown in confusion.

 

"Huh? What the hell're you talking about, this is  _ my _ dream, I should be asking you the same thing," he replied, crossing his arms over his chest defensively. Vergil was silent, seemingly taking in what Nero has just told him.

 

"I see," the man finally responded, his voice once again devoid of emotion. Nero watched the man before him, feeling a bit more confused than he had before. Wasn't this just a dream? If so, then shouldn't this guy  _ know _ why Nero was there? The teen had been hoping for some answers himself and instead, he was now the one giving them. 

 

The young devil hunter shifted awkwardly on his feet, wondering what he should say to fill the silence, but coming up with nothing. He was really starting to miss that nightmare right now; at least it didn't question him.

 

Unable to stand the silence any longer, Nero decided to try and explain what he knew, hoping it would get Vergil talking, and maybe shed some light on what was happening here, since it was now obvious that something else was happening here. 

 

"Okay look… I dunno what's going on here, to be honest. All I know is this is my dream, and you keep popping up in it," he shrugged at the man. "Every night it's the same thing, Yamato keeps breaking, then you show up outta nowhere lookin' all mysterious and crap, and you won't let me hold my own damned sword without shocking the hell outta me," Nero explained, gesturing towards the sword Vergil held, a frown on his face now. "Since this is my dream, maybe  _ you _ could try explaining to me just what the hell all this crap means. I've never even met anyone named Vergil, and this is starting to creep me out," he admitted.

 

There was a moment of silence before Vergil's icy voice broke it. 

 

"…. _ Your _ sword?" he asked, the tone holding a note of incredulity in it as he spoke. 

 

Nero watched as the man pulled the sheathed blade closer to himself. He snorted and took a step closer. 

 

"Yeah,  _ my _ sword. I put it back together when it was broken, and Dante said I could keep it, so it's mine, and I don't appreciate getting the shit shocked outta me when I try and hold it you know," the teen replied, reaching out expectantly for the weapon as he spoke. Nero was beginning to think his arm would fall off as he waited for Vergil to do something, his hand still outstretched for the blade. The man seemed to consider the boy's words, turning the sword over in his hand as if he was checking it for unseen damages.

 

"Dante… I see," Vergil nodded quietly. Nero couldn't help but to feel like there was more to those three words than just a simple observation, but before he could begin to question it, the blade was pressed into his outstretched hand. 

 

"Very well then," Vergil said quietly, gazing off to the side as if deep in thought. Nero felt himself smile gratefully, holding the katana tightly as he looked it over, seeing no trace of the former cracks that had covered it before the weapon had shattered previously. When the teen looked up again, he noticed that Vergil seemed to be staring him down from beneath the icy blue hood of his cloak.

 

"Might I suggest we barter… something in exchange for returning Yamato to you?" Vergil spoke, his tone calm and collected as he eyed the boy in front of him. Nero frowned slightly, pulling Yamato closer to himself as if to keep it from vanishing once more.

 

"…What did you have in mind?" Nero asked, cursing himself for the slightly timid tone he heard in his own voice. The little voice in Nero's head was warning him to watch his back, but it was overpowered by the urge to keep the precious sword, and somehow Nero had a feeling that if he didn't agree, then it would have a very real effect on the actual blade currently residing in his Devil Bringer.

 

Nero's answer seemed to please Vergil, as satisfied hum escaping the man as he surveyed the young demon hunter before him. 

 

"Nothing as horrendous as I am sure you are imagining…" he replied, noticing the slightly disturbed look on Nero's face. " Just a few simple tasks in return for the use of the sword, doing a little research for me, that sort of thing, not to mention I could also provide you with more information about the sword or whatever else you want to know, perhaps even teach you new techniques with Yamato…" he offered, folding his arms over his chest as Nero watched him. 

 

Nero blinked, his eyebrows rising as he took in Vergil's offer. The man was offering him something he'd never gotten from Dante, and despite his best efforts in Fortuna's libraries, had never been able to find. Nero considered it for a few moments, rolling around the pros and cons in his mind before replying. 

 

"…Alright, you've got yourself a deal," he nodded, extending his right hand to Vergil as he spoke. Nero bit back the urge to gasp as Vergil shook his hand, once again feeling the horrid chill the other man's touch brought, along with an intense tingling sensation that wormed its way through his skin. 

 

"Then it's settled, though there is one small condition… you must keep all of this to yourself, tell no one," Vergil added, gripping his hand tightly for another moment before releasing Nero and turning away. The teen stared at Vergil's back, grimacing as he tried to warm his hand by rubbing it against his jeans.

 

' _ What did I just get myself into? _ ' he thought to himself, shaking his head. There was no use in second guessing it now, the deal was made and Nero was sure he didn't want to face the consequences of backing out. Finding a bit of confidence, Nero decided he would start taking advantage of Vergil's offer right now.

 

"Alright… well since we're all friendly and stuff now, can I at least see what ya look like? It's kinda creepy talking to a guy in a hood and cape all the time," Nero spoke up, tapping his foot expectantly. Honestly, for all of the bravado Nero tried to show in front of the other male, it really bothered him the way that Vergil stayed hidden beneath that hood. It was unsettling, to say the least, and since it seemed like they would be seeing a lot more of each other, Nero felt like he deserved to see just who it was he was making shady deals with. 

 

An irritated sigh was heard from beneath the blue hood before the fabric slipped away to reveal pure white locks similar to Nero's own. The teen's eyebrows rose in surprise at this discovery, and he nearly choked as Vergil turned in his direction. 

 

Catching sight of the other man's face, Nero choked a little, managing to splutter out a surprised cry of "Dante?!" in between his gasps for air as he tried to compose himself.

 

Nero stared in complete shock as Vergil rolled his eyes and shook his head. 

 

"I told you, my name is Vergil," the man replied in a bored tone, frowning as he swept his hand through his hair, spiking up the bangs that were hanging in his face to get them out of his eyes. Nero shook his head defiantly as he stared Vergil down.

 

"But you look  _ exactly _ like him," Nero protested, his lips tugging down into a confused frown. As if things weren't weird enough already for the devil hunter, now he had this little gem to add to the pile. The teen looked Vergil up and down, noticing that except for the cold, hard expression on his face, the lack of stubble, and the regal way the man held himself, Vergil was the mirror image of the elder hunter. 

 

"Then if you're not him, how come you look alike,  _ huh _ ?" he questioned in a childish tone. Vergil snorted slightly and gave a noncommittal shrug of the shoulders.

 

"Perhaps this was the face most associated with Yamato in your mind. It is  _ your _ dream after all…" the man replied, giving Nero an uninterested look as he spoke. The younger devil hunter wasn't sure he was satisfied with that answer, but it did make sense he supposed, and obviously he wasn't going to get much else out of the other about it. 

 

The best Nero could do was push the thoughts out of his mind for now, besides, it wasn't like Vergil had asked for anything too weird, just for Nero to do a little research and to keep quiet about it, which would be easy considering if Nero went and told someone that he was making deals with shadowy figures in his dreams, they would probably have him committed. Nero tapped his fingers against the hilt of Yamato as he considered the man before him. 

 

"Hey Vergil, how about you teach me some of those new mo-" Nero's sentence was cut off as a hand rose up, signaling for him to be silent.

 

"Enough," the man spoke, turning his frosty gaze back to Nero as he held out a book. "This is the book I want you to find. Read every page of it, even if you don't understand it," Vergil instructed, shoving the book into Nero's free hand. 

 

A little confused as to why he was being forced to read a book that Vergil already had, Nero took it and opened the pages, only to blink in confusion as he realized every page was empty. Closing the cover once more he read the title a few times, trying to memorize the name since it was in a strange language he wasn't familiar with.

 

Once he was sure he had the title locked into his memory, Nero looked up and held out the book to Vergil, only to find that he was now sitting up in his own bed in his room in Fortuna, his arm outstretched and empty.

 

"…Huh?" Nero blinked, realization slowly starting to sink in as his arm dropped down to his side. The demon hunter shook his head and stifled a yawn as he rolled out of bed, shaking off the weirdness of last night's dream. It had seemed so real, and he was grateful that this time he hadn't been woken up by horrible pain as he was every night other lately. 

 

"Heh, I need to get out more… I'm starting to lose it," he sighed, shaking his head as he wandered into the kitchen to get breakfast. Nero thought about the strange book as he sat at the table, his legs propped up on the empty chair that Kyrie used to sit in as he chewed on a slice of toast. 

 

"I don't even know what language that was, let alone where to  _ find _ that." He sighed loudly and rolled his eyes in frustration. "Forget it; I'd have to be crazy to go lookin' for something like that just 'cause some weirdo imaginary guy who looks like Dante told me to," Nero snorted, shaking his head again. At that instant a searing pain shot through his Devil Bringer, causing the teen to drop his half eaten toast as he fell out of his chair, clutching the appendage to his chest and trying not to scream. 

 

"Okay, OKAY!" he shouted, the pain subsiding as he scrambled to his feet and out of the room. Nero quickly ran to get dressed, feeling more than a little horrified at the sudden reaction to his refusal to do the task Vergil had assigned him. The devil hunter tore out of the door, barely remembering to lock it behind himself as he rushed off towards the Order's libraries before his body decided that he wasn't obeying fast enough for its liking.


	4. Entrapment

He reached out to the woman desperately, ignoring the burning pain ripping through his body as he futilely tried to reach her. He was so close, why couldn't he just get to her, it wasn't fair. Another searing pain pierced through his chest, stealing the man's ability to breathe. 

 

' _ It's dark… it hurts. I'm sorry… I just… couldn't…'  _

 

_ " _ Mother."

 

These were the last fleeting thoughts to register in his mind as he felt himself slipping away, overcome by the very darkness surrounding him. The pain flared before it too melted into nothingness, the entirety of his world surrendering itself into oblivion as demonic laughter echoed all around him.

 

His awakening had not been pleasant; it felt as if an unseen power was choking him, binding his limbs from any freedom outside of what was commanded of him. He wasn't sure how long he had been fighting, or even who his adversary was; all he knew was that this man in red had shown up in this place, and every fiber of his being had been drawn to him. There was no explanation for it, but his body commanded him to fight, to destroy the stranger at all costs. 

 

Resistance was not an option for him as some higher power forced him to bend to its will over and over again in battle against this man. Victory had been so close, but the sight of the trinket that the man in red had been wearing had caused the most horrific pain imaginable to tear through him down to the very core, and he had been forced to flee as the sensation knifed through his body.

 

Twice more the two had done battle, until finally, the man in red had delivered the blow that settled their duel. Demonic energy rapidly escaped his body as it rose above the floor, causing him to cry out in pain as the power surged through him. It was with a sickening finality that he watched his surroundings begin to fade as the power left his body and the veil of unanswered questions finally began to lift. He knew this stranger, they were connected, the feeling embedded so deeply that there was no doubt about it in his mind. There was no chance to stop it as the energy erupted and consumed his body until everything suddenly went dark.

 

It was warm. That was the first thing Vergil noticed as some semblance of awareness crept back into him. He tried to move, feeling somewhat weightless as his body met with no substantial resistance, yet something pulled at him, almost giving the impression he was under water. Muted sounds met his ears, but he couldn't understand them or even pinpoint the direction they were coming from. 

 

The half demon struggled to open his eyes, only to be met with a blinding light, causing him to immediately snap his eyes shut once more. He had no idea of where he was, or how he had gotten there. The last clear memory he had was of being in the demon realm, attacking Mundus, though vague snippets of an unfamiliar place and flashes of something he just couldn't quite remember ran rampant throughout his mind.

 

' _ Am I dead? _ ' he wondered to himself as the distant noises grew louder. Vergil shook his head, trying to figure out how exactly he had managed to escape hell and wind up in this strange limbo he now found himself in. 

 

The half demon was torn from his thoughts as a sudden burst of power brought a tremendous wave of heat surging through him. His eyelids snapped open, icy blue orbs scanning for any sign of immediate danger. Suddenly it was as if a plug had been pulled, the man feeling all of his energy being drawn upon and sucked out of this void as the brilliant white light gave way to darkness once more.

 

Almost instantaneously Vergil found himself viewing the world around him through a haze. He could make out shapes, some sort of creatures moving around him before a sudden rush of energy was released from him and all of the spectral figures around him were eradicated. Amidst the chaos, a voice was just barely able to break through the background noise.

 

"… _ And if I become a demon, so be it... _ "

 

He heard the words spoken as his power flared out once more. The sudden burst of energy pulled at his consciousness, and moments later Vergil felt himself slipping back into darkness once again as the power drained away.

 

He wasn't sure how many times it had happened now as, once again, Vergil felt himself ripped from the darkness and thrust back into awareness. Power radiated from him as some unknown entity used his energy, each and every movement draining the half demon more until he was once again left feeling empty and was returned to his state of nothing. Or so he thought. 

 

Vergil had fully been expecting to wait in the void of nothingness in this place until his power was drawn on once more, but something was different this time. The half demon retained his awareness of his surroundings, which unfortunately didn't amount to much more than an empty room that stretched as far as he could see and a thin layer of swirling fog that skirted along the floor. It was strange to him, to say the least, but Vergil decided not to waste the opportunity given to him, and ventured through the fog, looking for something, anything to indicate an escape from this place.

 

The devil couldn't be sure of how long he'd been in the fog, there was no determinable source for the ever persistent light that filtered through the haze, and so far he'd found absolutely nothing else, aside from a few locked doors as he'd ventured farther in. He tried to force the doors open, but no amount of pushing, pulling, or even kicking was enough to budge any of them from their frames in the slightest. Occasionally voices, or what he assumed were voices, amongst other indeterminable sounds would waft through the silence, but it was like listening through a filter. He could never quite make out what was happening and what was being said as the sounds echoed through, coming from no one place in particular, which only added to the difficulty of understanding them. Vergil had tried calling out to the speaker, but he never received a response, so he kept wandering, hoping to find something or someone to help him eventually.

 

Vergil continued to find himself ripped out into the haze of some unknown existence and his power drawn upon as someone or  _ something _ fought, only to find himself returned back to the foggy room when his power drained away. The half demon was pleased to find that he could retain awareness the entire time instead of being thrust back into unconsciousness like he had been previously. He wasn't sure what it meant, but Vergil considered it one more step toward leaving this place, so in his opinion it was a good thing. 

 

It seemed like every time Vergil returned, there were more doors crowding the otherwise empty surface of the walls, and the fog became denser. He continuously searched for an unlocked door in between trips to 'the outside', as he had come to refer to his time in the haze, but had yet to find one.

 

None of the doors ever showed any sign of opening, each one just a plain wooden door with nothing special about it, which is why Vergil was caught off guard when he spotted the newest addition to the collection. It stood off a ways on its own, and Vergil honestly couldn't tell if the door had just recently sprung up, or if he had simply never explored this far before. The door itself was impressive, with ornate carvings across its black surface. An intricately carved silver handle drew in his attention, and Vergil approached it without hesitation. 

 

It was without any trepidation that Vergil gripped the handle and pulled on the door, finding that it opened with ease. The inside was dark, but he ventured in anyways, intent on finding some answers. One thing Vergil noticed upon entering was that every sound that had been muted outside of the door he now heard clearly enough to make out entire chunks of conversations. It was just trivial matters as far as he could tell, something about 'what was for dinner' if he wasn't mistaken. Another thing that Vergil noticed was that in here he had a little control over his surroundings. If he wanted it light, there would be light in here, if he wanted a chair, there would be one exactly where he wanted it. He had first realized it when the darkness hadn't shown any signs of relenting, and he had been glowering to himself about the matter. 

 

After that it was simple enough to experiment with what amount of control he had, which as he found was quite a bit, but not enough to get him out. He was also slightly disturbed, though less concerned with the fact that try as he might, he couldn't seem to summon Yamato either. It wasn't a major concern since he didn't seem to need a weapon here, but it still nagged at him.

 

Vergil still didn't know who the voices he heard belonged to, but more often than not it was one male and one female only, and on a few occasions what seemed like demons’ screeches. Those instances almost always seemed to result in him being pulled out into the haze again, though Vergil was pleased to notice that lately his surroundings in 'the outside' were a little more clear to him; he thought he could even identify some of the lesser demons his power was being used against. 

 

It didn't take much for Vergil to quickly get the gist of what was going on. He didn't know how, and he didn't know why, but it was obvious he was  _ inside _ someone else. It was the only explanation that made any sense when he put it all together. The half demon couldn't piece together how he'd gone from fighting Mundus to ending up in this situation, but it didn't matter. What  _ did _ matter was getting out, and one way or another, he was leaving this place and returning to his own body where he belonged; he just hoped that he still  _ had _ a body to return to.

 

Vergil sighed as he moved his knight into position, playing a chess match against himself with the set that he had summoned. He had nothing else to do, and had spent what felt like hours searching for a way out of this place, only to give up for the time being, hoping to gather his thoughts and figure something out. He hadn't, and as he moved the white queen across the board to capture a black pawn, he couldn't help but to sigh in defeat. Nothing seemed to work, and no matter what he did, he always ended up right back where he started. 

 

Vergil growled and swiped the pieces off the board, rising to his feet in anger. He was  _ Vergil _ , he was stronger than this, and he would definitely figure out a way to get free. As he bent down to pick up the scattered game pieces, something caught Vergil's eye, something unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome.

 

A short distance away, a figure was crouched down on the ground, looking at something. He couldn't make out the details of their appearance or the object they held, the figure almost gave him the impression he was looking at a television with bad reception. Frowning to himself, Vergil slowly moved away from his seat and towards the person, never once blinking in case they should disappear while he wasn't looking. He pulled the hood of the cloak he was wearing up to mask his appearance, just in case it was a demon or something else unfriendly, his family had more than enough enemies, and it wouldn't do to go rushing unarmed into a fight because of who he was. 

 

"…Hello?" Vergil called out to the person, who looked to possibly be a younger male, but he didn't receive a response. In fact, it looked like they were completely absorbed with the object they were staring down at.

 

Frowning more deeply, Vergil closed the distance between them, now standing mere inches from the boy. The guy had white hair, very much like his own, but Vergil couldn't see his face to make sure it wasn't who he thought it might be, since the figure was looking down at whatever that thing on the floor was. 

 

"…Dante?" he said quietly, looking over the male's shoulder to see what was so interesting. It appeared to be a sword, a very familiar sword, one that Vergil recognized instantly. "Yamato," he breathed out, more to himself than anyone else. "Dante… what are you doing here?" he asked, certain that it could be no one else with white hair and Yamato in their possession. The half demon reached down and placed his hand on the shoulder of the blurred figure before him.

 

Vergil wasn't sure what had happened when he touched the man's shoulder, but everything seemed to pause around him. There were no voices or even any other sounds for that matter to fill the air, and Vergil felt like he was moving in slow motion as even the light in the room flickered at an incredibly slow pace. 

 

The half demon had never questioned or tried to test if he needed to breathe here, but he nearly panicked as he found himself at a loss for air, his chest constricting in time with the pulsating light. As quickly as it had started, the sensations passed and Vergil opened his eyes, not having realized they were closed until that moment. Glancing around, everything seemed normal to him, though when he looked down he was surprised to see that the boy before him was in clear focus, every detail blaring out that the figure was really there now. The only thing that was missing was the sword that had been on the ground moments before.

 

Eying the boy in silence for a few moments, Vergil realized that it wasn't his brother. In fact, he didn't know who this kid was at all, or why the boy had been staring at his sword before. 

 

' _ I wonder… hn… _ ' Vergil flexed his fingers and concentrated all of his thoughts and memories on his prized possession, and before the half devil could blink, he felt the familiar weight of Yamato in his hand once more. It was with a sense of satisfaction that Vergil turned around, clenching his blade tightly. It looked like he was making progress after all, maybe now a solution to this mess wouldn't be far behind.

 

An annoyed shout interrupted his thoughts of escape. How irritating. Vergil scowled slightly under his hood and glanced back over his shoulder slightly, wondering what the loudmouth wanted. He rolled his eyes as the boy stomped over, whining about Vergil ignoring him. A platinum eyebrow arched in a mixture of surprise and irritation as the younger male reached for the sword,  _ Vergil's sword _ . That was a big mistake. 

 

As soon as those fingers wrapped around the blade, Vergil grit his teeth and directed all of his frustration about the entire situation into the sword and towards the boy's grubby little hand. It must have worked, because suddenly the boy was gone, as if he was never there to begin with. Vergil shook his head and summoned himself a seat, setting about to examine his sword.

 

The boy appeared three more times, each time arriving a short while after Vergil had been pulled into 'the outside' world again. Each time, the brat was insufferable, harassing Vergil with questions and vulgar language, reminding the half devil all too much of another idiot with white hair that he was familiar with. Vergil was prepared for another round of ignoring the boy until he vanished, when the boy did something unexpected. 

 

The younger of the two introduced himself and held out his hand for Vergil to shake. He eyed the smaller figure in front of him for a moment, considering the situation before finally reaching out and shaking his hand. 

 

"Vergil…" he spoke, releasing the smaller hand from his grip. Vergil had questions, and it seemed like this boy might have answers, so he decided to give it a shot. 

 

"Why are you here?" he asked Nero, frowning as he saw the lost expression that settled onto the boy's face.

 

"Huh? What the hell're you talking about, this is  _ my _ dream, I should be asking you the same thing," Nero responded, causing Vergil to purse his lips as the answer sunk in. 

 

So, he was in a dream, or more likely, he was inhabiting this boy's body along with his sub consciousness. It was all the half devil could do not to jump for joy and celebrate like a child as he realized what this meant. His situation wasn't as hopeless as he'd thought it was, in fact, this may very well have been the best news he had ever heard in his life. Vergil took a breath to calm himself before speaking.

 

"I see," he replied, his face like stone as his mind whirled with plans.

 

Nero's rambling revealed some useful clues to Vergil as he listened, though the words 'my sword' snapped the half demon out of his plotting. 

 

" _ Your sword _ ?" he nearly snorted, hugging the blade closer to his body, away from prying hands. Vergil bit his tongue to keep from shouting as Nero explained about Yamato, swearing to himself that he would punish his brother for giving away one of his most prized possessions to some annoying brat. It was tempting to knock the boy's hand away as he reached for the weapon, but the more Vergil thought about it, the more he realized giving the child what he wanted might not be such a bad thing.

 

"Dante… I see," Vergil nodded, thinking that after all, he wouldn't  _ really _ be relinquishing ownership, he'd just be 'loaning' it out until he needed it back, and if it helped him escape this hell, then it was worth it. "Very well then," he said after he handed the blade to Nero, his mind quickly formulating a plan of action as he glanced away.

 

Finally Vergil directed his gaze back to Nero, his plan ready to be set into motion. It was simple enough, and he was certain he could easily pull it off if the boy was willing to play his part. 

 

"Might I suggest we barter… something in exchange for returning Yamato to you?" he offered, his tone controlled and smooth, hoping to bait Nero into accepting. It was somewhat with an air of smugness that Vergil watched the boy pull the sword closer to his body, as if that would keep Vergil from having it again.

 

"…What did you have in mind?" Nero asked, the apprehension evident in his unsteady voice. 

 

Vergil's eyes glittered beneath the hood as Nero spoke those words. It was settled then, he had taken the bait and Vergil was on his way out to rejoin the world of the living, it was just a matter of time now. 

 

Vergil presented his offer to Nero, who ate it up like a starving man at a free buffet.

Vergil watched as Nero extended his hand to seal their deal. The half devil gripped the boy's hand in his own, feeling a rush of demonic power complete the pact. Vergil made sure he told Nero to keep their dealings to himself, after all, the boy obviously knew Dante and the last thing he needed was for his moronic twin to come barging in and ruin all of his plans. 

 

Releasing Nero's hand, Vergil had to turn his back to the boy to conceal the malicious smirk plastered across his face.

 

' _ Perfect. _ '


	5. Diversion

Nero stood with his arms crossed, tapping his foot impatiently as he watched the man before him. He wasn't sure how many hours he'd spent in the libraries in the last few weeks, pouring over book after boring book, and so far he'd found nothing of real use to Vergil, as once again evidenced by the elder male's annoyed growl as the book Vergil was holding was snapped shut and tossed aside. 

 

"Are you  _ sure _ you checked the  _ entire _ section where you found this one?" he was asked by Vergil, causing Nero to let out his own growl of annoyance. 

 

"Yes! How many times do I have to tell you, I've spent the last  _ five days _ reading every damned book in there, and it wasn't easy, you know, that's the restricted section!" Nero snapped, glaring indignantly at the other. It was true; the teen had been chased out of that section of the library more than once this week after having been caught by an elder member of the Order of the Sword, and those old geezers were nothing to scoff at when they were mad.

 

Nero was getting a little fed up with this whole situation. Deal or not, he was ready to just tell Vergil to forget it, even if it meant losing Yamato. As the weeks had gone by and Nero had yet to make any significant finds, the elder male had become increasingly agitated with the teen, directing all of his frustrations and anger onto Nero. The young devil hunter opened his mouth to tell Vergil exactly where he could shove that latest book, but he never got the chance as Vergil spoke first. 

 

"Perhaps I've had you looking in the wrong place…" Vergil mused, seemingly mostly to himself. 

 

"What do you mean?" Nero asked, tapping his foot again. He was waved off by Vergil as the older male took a seat in the chair next to the table with the chess set that he had summoned upon first arriving in this place. 

 

"Let me think for a bit," Vergil replied, resting his elbows on his knees with his fingers laced together in front of his face. Nero opened his mouth to respond, but thought better of it and instead just moved to the chair on the opposite side of the table.

 

The teen knew that he wouldn't wake up until Vergil was ready for him to, so he tried to relax in the chair and get comfortable, since it didn't look like Vergil was going to let him out any time soon. Nero was having a hard time sitting still, especially with Vergil not even moving or making a sound. It was too quiet in here, and it was making him restless. Nero fidgeted in his seat, glancing over at Vergil every once in a while. When the other spoke, it was so sudden that the teen nearly jumped out of his chair. 

 

"Do you know how to play?" Vergil asked him, staring at Nero intensely. 

 

"…Huh?" Nero blinked, unsure what the other meant by 'play'. He didn't miss the roll of eyes from Vergil as the man motioned to the chess set. 

 

"Do you know how to play?" he repeated, sitting up in his chair. 

 

"Oh… uh, no, never really learned…" Nero answered, shrugging a bit. Vergil sighed as he turned the board so that the black pieces were closest to Nero. 

 

"I'll teach you then," he replied, setting the board up for a new game. Nero wrinkled his nose; board games were never really his thing. 

 

"But what about the books… and Yamato?" he asked, whining slightly. The older male had barely taught him anything about the sword, only doing so when Nero actually found something of use during his research. 

 

"It can wait, I told you, I need to think," Vergil answered as he finished putting the pieces in their proper squares. "Now pay attention, I'm only going to explain things one time." 

 

Nero nodded in response, figuring it was best not to argue right now. Maybe if he gave Vergil some time to think then he could finish his research faster, and the other would teach him about Yamato like he'd promised.

 

A while later, the teen growled as he stared at the chess board, which was missing all but three of the black pieces at the moment. It was pretty embarrassing, to say the least.

 

"This game is too hard! And you're like,  _ way _ better at this than me, I'll never win!" Nero protested, folding his arms across his chest. The teen didn't miss the slightly smug smirk that appeared on Vergil's face at those remarks, and it only pissed him off even more. He had already lost six games in a row, and as he moved his castle across the board, Vergil's ever growing smirk told him he'd just lost a seventh. The older male moved his bishop into position and gave Nero a pointed look. 

 

"Check mate," he declared, causing Nero's blood to boil. 

 

"That's it, I give up!" he grumbled, flicking his king over onto its side. "Can't I just go back now, I do have stuff  _ I _ want to do, you know…" Nero sighed, flopping back in the chair. Vergil seemed to consider this before he summoned a book with a faded and cracked black leather cover into his hands. "What's that?" Nero asked, leaning closer to try and see it better. 

 

"It's your next assignment," Vergil replied, handing the book to Nero so that he could examine it. "Try looking for it in Sanctus' old quarters… If it wasn't in the restricted section, then that's where it must be hidden." 

 

Nero nearly choked at that statement. As far as he was concerned, Vergil might as well have asked him to go to the moon to find it.

 

"What? I can't look there, it's impossible!" he protested, staring at Vergil as if the man had grown another head. Vergil scowled back at him, crossing his arms over his chest. 

 

"You  _ will _ look, and you  _ will _ find it… and when you do, then I'll teach you whatever you want, not just one or two little lessons like we've been doing." 

 

Nero had to admit, he was really tempted by this offer, even if it meant going through the hell that Vergil was asking to find that book. After a minute or so of contemplation, Nero finally nodded, though somewhat reluctantly. 

 

"Alright…" he sighed, standing up. "This is really stretching our deal you know, so you'd better teach me  _ everything _ , no backing out after I find it," he grumbled, chucking the book into his now empty seat. 

 

"I wouldn't dream of it," Vergil replied, the faintest of smirks on his face. 

 

The teen tapped his foot impatiently, waiting for Vergil to send him back to consciousness. 

 

"Oh and Nero…" the elder male spoke up, causing Nero to turn back to face him, "Do try and practice, I'd like a real match the next time we play," Vergil smirked, motioning to the remnants of their last chess game. 

 

Nero huffed and rolled his eyes. 

 

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, just send me back already," he snorted back at him. 

 

"If you manage to beat me, I'll give you something special…" Vergil added as he waved his arm and everything went black.

 

Nero found himself back in his bed in Fortuna, pale light streaming in through his window to alert him that it was morning already. 

 

"Ugh… I can't believe I'm doing this," he groaned, rolling out of bed. He had a lot to do if he was going to get inside of Sanctus' personal quarters. Ever since the Savior incident, going anywhere in the Order was difficult, and especially now that Nero was no longer with Kyrie, he knew it would be tough to get in and find what he needed. Nero didn't waste any time in getting ready and heading out, the sooner he found that book, the sooner he could make Vergil uphold his end of the bargain. Eventually he found himself outside of the Order's Headquarters, drawing numerous stares, though that was nothing new. 

 

"Here goes…" he mumbled, marching right in through the front of the building. Nero slipped in through the door, immediately flattening himself against the wall as he listened for footsteps outside. His 'mission' had been going smoothly up until the point that Kyrie had spotted him. He had circled around away from the living quarters, pretending that he was just looking up information of what was going on in the city today, when his ex girlfriend had spotted him and felt the need to sick the guards on him to have Nero thrown out. Needless to say he couldn't let that happen and run the risk of not being able to get back in, so he'd taken off down the hall instead of staying to fight or getting thrown out, and had somehow managed to make his way up towards Sanctus' old room, where he was currently hiding. He thought he heard the rumble of approaching guards outside, and held his breath as he tried to hide himself in a rack of old robes behind the door.

 

The devil hunter had just hidden himself in the robes when the door was opened, and a guard stepped inside, looking around cautiously as if suspecting a surprise attack. None came, Nero having decided to stay hidden rather than take the man out, and after a bit of searching around the room, the guard left, closing the door behind him. The teen listened as the guard told someone, more than likely the rest of the guards, that the room was empty, and the footsteps faded into the distance and out of Nero's earshot. Breathing a sigh of relief, Nero climbed out of the rack and dusted himself off, shaking his head at the man's stupidity. 

 

"Rookies," he snorted, moving towards the bookcase at the far side of the room. The sooner he found the book, the sooner he could get the hell out of there and away from everyone else.

 

Nero growled softly as he stared at the bookcase before him. This was going to take all day, if he was even lucky enough not to be caught. 

 

"Tch, not like I have anything better to do… don't think playing chess with Vergil in my dreams even counts anyways," he grumbled quietly. As if in response, his Devil Bringer flared up brightly and tingled for a few moments before dying back down to its normal state. "Yeah, yeah, I was just saying," Nero sighed, shaking his arm to rid it of the last lingering bits of the tingling sensation. "Hnn, now let's see here… it was black, so that's a start…" he said, reaching for the nearest black covered book, though with the amount of dark covers he had seen on the shelf, the demon hunter had a feeling that this was going to be a lot harder than he'd originally thought.


	6. Desire

"No, not like that. Haven't you been listening to what I've been telling you?" The icy voice jabbed at Nero, causing the young man to growl in frustration. They'd been at this for what seemed like hours, but he just couldn't seem to get Vergil's instructions right. The older man had held true to his words, and had agreed to show Nero whatever he wanted once the teen had found the book he had asked for. At the time, Nero had thought that it was a good thing; the look of elation on Vergil's face for the first time since he'd met the man had given the young devil hunter the impression that these 'lessons' were going to be worth the effort, but now he was starting to reconsider whether it was worth the hassle.

 

It seemed to Nero like he was never going to get this down; every night for the past two weeks had been the same. Vergil didn't seem like he had the patience to be a teacher, but nevertheless he grilled the teen until Nero perfected the forms and movements and was ready for the next set. Nero had questioned Vergil on what the man had found in the book, but all he ever received in reply was "You'll find out soon enough," which Nero found to be more than a little ominous. He eventually gave up asking and just stuck to sparring with Vergil, learning what he could from the man, and the occasional chess match in between. 

 

Nero never came any closer to winning, even though he'd actually resorted to making trips to the library during the daylight hours to read up on the game. In all honesty he didn't know what he would receive from Vergil if he won, but the guy hadn't tried to harm him yet, so he could only hope that it was something good; after all, so far the elder male had kept all of his promises, so what could it hurt?

 

"Can't we take a break already?" Nero whined to Vergil. "I feel like my arm's gonna fall off," the teen groaned, rubbing his shoulder as if to prove his point. He didn't miss the roll of Vergil's eyes, but the elder male nodded and moved to his usual seat next to his chess set. 

 

"You're the one who asked for lessons. I'm just keeping my end of the bargain," came the icy reply, the semblances of a smirk playing across Vergil's lips. 

 

Nero snorted and flopped down in the opposite chair, shaking his head at the man as he rested Yamato on his lap. 

 

"Yeah, but I didn't ask for you to  _ kill _ me," he retorted, running a hand through his hair. He had to admit, as harsh and strict and sometimes even downright  _ bastardly _ that Vergil could be (especially when he was winning at chess), Nero was really starting to enjoy his time spent with the man. It wasn't like he really had too many friends left in the  _ real _ world; even Dante hadn't been heard from lately with the exception of one half-drunken phone call asking how Nero was doing, but Vergil was always there. He didn't seem to mind ( or at least he didn't complain ) when Nero ranted about his life's troubles or just whined about their lessons, and despite his cold nature, Vergil was actually pretty good company, well, when he was in a good mood, which he had been in ever since Nero had found that last book.

 

Glancing over at the older man, Nero's thoughts continued to run rampant until something clunked him in the forehead. Vergil was staring at him, eyes narrowed slightly in annoyance. 

 

"I asked you if you wanted to continue…" Vergil said, his tone frosty, apparently irritated that Nero had been zoning out. Rubbing his forehead as he reached down to pick up the object he'd been attacked with, which turned out to be one of the chess pieces, Nero shrugged and picked up Yamato in his free hand as he stood up. 

 

"Yeah, guess so," he said, setting the piece back onto the board before he moved to their usual training spot. 

 

"Just try not to screw it up this time," Vergil snorted, standing up before moving to join the teen. 

 

Nero growled and moved into the stance Vergil had shown him, shooting the man a dirty look. 

 

"I'll get it this time, just  _ watch. _ "

 

Nero was certain that any moment he was going to burst into flames or something with the look that he was receiving. 

 

"You're going to slice  _ yourself _ in half if you continue that way." Vergil's remark came, as cold and concise as usual. Nero ground his teeth together in response and twisted the handle of the blade in his hands, readjusting his stance. 

 

Another week and a half had passed, with the teen struggling to learn everything that Vergil had to offer him; needless to say it wasn't going so well, as evidenced by the other man smacking him in the back of the head. 

 

"Then show me how to do it again, you didn't explain it right the first time." Nero complained, rubbing his now stinging scalp. Rolling his eyes at the overly dramatic sigh he received in response, the teen watched as Vergil stepped over to him, circling his arms around the boy as he gripped Nero's wrists from behind him. 

 

"It's not that hard to do it the way I told you to." Vergil snapped, moving Nero's arms into the right positions for the attack sequence he was struggling to teach the young devil hunter.

 

Nero felt his breath catch as his cheeks warmed a bit, moving his arms as Vergil wanted them. He wasn't sure what was wrong with him, he'd spent plenty of time with Vergil, though the man had never initiated that kind of direct contact with him; sure, he'd been swatted at, shoved a little, but this was practically a  _ hug _ . It was weird, Nero didn't know why he felt so embarrassed all of a sudden, but he was determined not to show it as he set his jaw and adjusted his grip on Yamato. 

 

If Vergil noticed his discomfort about the situation, then the man didn't show it, he just proceeded about his lesson with Nero as if nothing was wrong. Their lesson continued for the rest of the night, and Nero managed not to embarrass himself too much more in front of Vergil. He was relieved when he finally woke up, though the memory of what had happened still echoed in his mind. 

 

_ 'You're being ridiculous, he wasn't hugging you so just shut up already,' _ he chided himself, climbing out of bed to get ready for the day. Nero was eager to try out what Vergil had been so adamantly drilling him on for the past few weeks, and he hoped to clear his mind of the night's awkwardness in the process.

 

"Why are you standing there like a sack of potatoes?" Vergil snapped, pressing his hand against Nero's lower stomach and pushing in until he was satisfied with the boy's stance. Nero instantly felt his face heat up and looked down, praying his bangs would cover his face. 

 

It had been another week of the same thing, and the devil hunter was starting to think he was losing it. Anytime Vergil touched him he started blushing and acting like a high school girl with a crush, and it was starting to piss him off. Nero managed to convince himself for the most part that it was nothing more than simple admiration; he'd just been through a lot lately and Vergil had been there for him and that was it. It didn't help that the guy looked like a model and that the teen had been extremely lonely since he'd been dumped by Kyrie and basically abandoned by everyone in town, and that this was the first close bodily contact that he'd had with anyone in months. He refused to admit to anything more, it was too awkward to think about the other man like that, though Nero had caught himself with his mind wandering over Vergil on more than one occasion now.

 

' _ Just stop it, idiot, he wouldn't even like you like that anyways.' _ Nero chided himself, biting his lip in frustration as he tried to get his thoughts under control. 

 

As if reading his mind and deciding to torture him some more, Vergil stepped over to the teen and grabbed his arms, positioning them the way he wanted for the move he was teaching. Nero thought the worst was over until the older man grabbed his leg around his thigh and pulled, forcing a now stumbling Nero to stand the way he'd been instructing for the past ten minutes. The teen thought that his face must literally be on fire by now, he could feel the heat burning in his cheeks and his heart hammering in his chest. 

 

' _ What the hell is he doing? _ ' Nero groaned in his mind, trying to ignore the fluttering feeling in his stomach. If he didn't know any better, he'd say Vergil was doing all of this on purpose. Of course the man wasn't though, why would he? Nero was just a means to get whatever it was that Vergil was after, he knew that, and Nero also knew that there was no way Vergil would even be interested in him anyways. 

 

' _ Then why does it matter so much? _ ' he questioned himself, shaking his head as he turned his attention back to the lesson at hand. Maybe if he started getting things right, then Vergil wouldn't have to touch him and Nero would be spared the awkwardness of it all; at least, he hoped so.

 

Nearly a week later and Nero was certain that something was wrong with him. There had to be; no matter what he did, Vergil was on his mind. When he was awake, the teen found himself studying up on chess, though he refused to admit to himself it was so that he could impress the man. When Nero was asleep, he'd found himself purposely messing up the motions and stances that Vergil was teaching so that the older man would have to forcibly correct his movements on several occasions. Still, the devil hunter told himself that it was nothing, that he was just craving attention because he was lonely. 

 

So what if  _ maybe _ he had a little crush, it was harmless, something that would pass soon enough if he just left it alone. It wasn't a big deal, Nero didn't expect Vergil to reciprocate his feelings in any way, shape, or form, but that didn't mean that he couldn't fantasize a little. It made him feel a little less lonely, and it wasn't hurting anyone, so it didn't matter. As long as the other man didn't find out, then they could both go about their business without any trouble and everything would be fine; at least, that's what Nero told himself.

 

It had been just over a month since Nero had found that book in Sanctus' quarters, and Vergil still hadn't told him anything about it. The man hadn't asked Nero to research anything else, and instead had devoted all of their time to whatever Nero wanted to do, with the occasional chess match thrown in. 

 

Nero had long since given up questioning what Vergil's motivations were; it wasn't like he had a problem with the way things were now. Aside from Vergil's occasional frostiness, the young devil hunter was really enjoying himself with the man; it was one of the main reasons why he hadn't given up trying to beat the other at chess yet. Whenever they played, Vergil seemed to be in a better mood, and in turn, put Nero into a much better mood. The teen had actually come close to beating him once, though he was certain that Vergil had just been teasing him before crushing his hopes of winning. This particular night though, Nero had a feeling that his luck had finally changed for the better with this game.

 

"Check." Nero called out, smirking a little at the man sitting across from him. Vergil didn't look too happy as he eyed the board, and Nero's smirk grew even more. He finally had him on the run; after too many games to count, and too many humiliating defeats, Nero was certain he had this game in the bag. He didn't know if Vergil had been distracted, or just not interested in the game, but the man had lost nearly half of his pieces already, and the board was nearly dominated with black. He didn't miss the pursing of lips and the irritated twitch of Vergil's eyebrow as the man reached out and moved his bishop across the board.

 

"Check." Vergil replied, shooting Nero an icy glare as he folded his arms across his chest. Nero wrinkled his nose in annoyance as he glanced back down to the board, trying to figure out his next move. He couldn't lose, he was so close this time; he just  _ had _ to beat Vergil, just this once. He glared at the board for a while, calculating each move in his head as he looked over all of his pieces; that's when he saw it. 

 

' _ That can't be right… _ ' Nero rechecked all of his possible moves before he finally realized it was true; Vergil had actually lost. All Nero had to do was move his queen into position and that would be the end of the game. Smirking like the devil himself, Nero plucked his queen from the board and plopped her down excitedly on a square across from Vergil's king. 

 

"Checkmate," he declared, grinning smugly at Vergil as he waited for the man's reaction.

For a few moments, Nero wasn't sure that Vergil had heard him. The man hadn't said anything as he'd stared at the board, examining the pieces. Finally Vergil reached out and flicked his king, glancing up at Nero as the piece fell over on its side onto the board. 

 

"Well done," Vergil remarked, his tone smooth and calm as he spoke, which surprised Nero since he thought the man would be angry to have been beaten. Nero released the breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding in for the past minute or so, and grinned again. 

 

"Heh, thanks," the teen replied, feeling that cocky attitude creeping back into place. He couldn't believe he'd actually won fair and square, and that Vergil almost seemed proud of him, well, at least in Nero's opinion. Leaning back into his seat as he laced his fingers together behind his head, Nero shot Vergil another smug grin as he asked, "So, when do I get my prize?" 

 

The man across the table seemed to consider it for a moment as he looked away, apparently mulling it over. Finally after a minute or so he turned back to Nero and stood up, motioning with his head for the boy to join him as he crossed the room away from the table and chairs. Nero blinked, a confused expression passing over his face before he shrugged it off and followed after the man, wondering what was so special that Vergil couldn't just tell him right there.

 

The two had been standing in the middle of the room for several minutes now, and Nero was beginning to get uncomfortable. It seemed like Vergil was purposely standing just a little too close to him, and the way the older man was eying him was making the hairs on the back of Nero's neck stand up. 

 

' _ What the hell is he looking at, why doesn't he just tell me already? _ ' he wondered to himself, shifting uncomfortably on his feet as he waited for Vergil to speak. Finally after another minute or so, Vergil seemed to have made up his mind about something and his icy blue eyes locked with Nero's. 

 

"Since you've done so well… I've decided to give you a special prize," he said, the slightest hint of a smirk on his face. 

 

Nero tugged at the edges of his shirt nervously. He couldn't even begin to imagine what the hell a 'special prize' was to Vergil. He just hoped it was nothing weird; the teen was really starting to regret winning that game right about now. Vergil seemed to notice his discomfort, and only smiled in a somewhat placating manner before he continued. 

 

"You may ask one thing of me, anything you want, and if it is in my power to do so… then I will grant whatever request it is that you have."

 

Nero stared at Vergil for a bit, unsure of how to reply to what the man had told him. That certainly wasn't the sort of prize he was expecting; hell, the teen didn't know  _ what _ he'd been expecting, but that definitely wasn't it. 

 

What could he ask Vergil for? Sure the man had been there to keep him company, to listen, to entertain and spend time with him, but what did that mean? What else could Vergil offer him that he wasn't already getting? Nero ran a hand through his own hair as his mind raced with possibilities. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he hadn't noticed until the man's hand was already on him that Vergil had stepped closer and now had a hand resting on his shoulder. 

 

"It's not that hard, really. Just pick something,  _ anything _ …" Vergil said, putting special emphasis on the last word as he shot Nero a look that the younger man couldn't quite decipher but that left a tingling inside of him. 

 

' _ Don't kid yourself, he didn't mean it like that…'  _

 

Nero bit down on his lip as he stared at Vergil, wondering what was going on in the other's mind. He felt like there was a double meaning lurking in the undertones of Vergil's offer, but the rational side of his mind was telling him it was just wishful thinking.

 

The young devil hunter glanced over at the hand resting on his shoulder, feeling his stomach knot up a little. He couldn't believe that he was about to ask Vergil this; if the man took his request the wrong way, then it would ruin everything, and Nero didn't know how he would be able to face falling asleep anymore. 

 

"Vergil…" he finally spoke, mentally cursing at the shakiness he heard in his own voice. Before he could continue, the icy hand on him slid up his shoulder to his face where it gently tucked a lock of Nero's hair behind his ear. 

 

"Yes?" Vergil said, his tone low and inviting as he moved in closer to the boy, smirking ever so slightly. Nero felt like someone had just knocked the wind out of him; he couldn't breathe and the teen was certain that his heart was going to pop out of his chest at the rate it was beating.

 

Nero couldn't believe this was happening. Sure, he had fantasized about it a few times, but never had he thought that Vergil would be the one to initiate it. The teen took a deep breath, trying to get himself under control before he finally spoke, determination in his voice as he locked eyes with Vergil. 

 

"…I've decided what I want for my prize."


	7. Gratification

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Explicit Content takes place during this entire chapter, just a heads up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ x_x Have some decade-old smut, lol. fyi this entire chapter is just a smut-fest... and if the lack of lube bothers you, well, it's in the dream-world so no one needs it there, shut up and don't judge me!! lmao. ]

" _ Nnn…a-ah! Vergil, please…" Nero panted into the elder's shoulder, his face twisted in pleasure as his nails dug into Vergil's back, leaving angry red lines in their wake. The teen felt like his entire body was on fire, wave after wave of pleasure coursing over him with each thrust into his body from the older male looming just over top of him. Half-lidded but brilliant blue eyes flickered up to the face above him, the expression there almost impassive as usual, save for the faint twitching at the corner of those perfectly formed lips.  _

 

_ Nero didn't know how the other could be so calm right now, but he found it kind of hot in a weird sort of way. The way the older male stared down at him with such a burning intensity in his icy blue eyes, despite the cool, collectedness of his features, made Nero tingle straight down to his core. It was sexy as hell, he had to admit. _

 

_ Nero couldn't stop the little mewls of pleasure that escaped his lips; what Vergil was doing was a little painful, but far too good for the teen to contain himself. A soft moan forced its way out of the boy's mouth when he felt Vergil push in harshly all the way to the hilt, those intense blue eyes still boring down into his own.  _

 

_ "…Vergil?" he questioned with a pant, a slender white eyebrow raising in confusion as the older male paused in his actions and then sat up, out of Nero's grasp. Vergil didn't speak, seemingly ignoring Nero's query as he looped his arms under the teen's legs and shifted his body so that Nero's legs could drape easily over his own shoulders.  _

 

_ "Hold onto something," was the only warning the young devil hunter received before he felt Vergil pull out nearly all of the way and slam back roughly into his body.  _

 

_ "Vergi—AH! Shit!" Nero cried out, clawing at the bed desperately as his head fell back and his eyes scrunched closed. Nero didn't know what Vergil had done, but it felt like something had exploded inside of him, in a good way. _

 

_ The teen dug his nails into the bed, the claws on his devil bringer piercing the pillow next to his head and spilling feathers all over him. Nero was too distracted to even notice the mess, Vergil had increased his pace and was far from gentle as he repeatedly slammed into that magical spot inside of him. Nero writhed around in the remnants of the pillow, his hips jerking forward to try and meet the elder's thrusts as he cried out repeatedly.  _

 

_ "Vergil! Nn, more," he demanded with a wanton moan. A soft growl caught Nero's ears before his request was fulfilled but he was too distracted to care. The teen felt like he might break with the ferocity of Vergil's thrusts, but the pleasure was so mind-blowing that he didn't care. Nero didn't think that he could continue this much longer; his entire body was tingling and hot, but he needed more.  _

 

_ The young devil hunter slid his hand down across his own chest and stomach to grip his own length tightly, and began stroking himself harshly. Nero immediately felt his hand slapped away and a much stronger grip took its place, moving in time with Vergil's thrusts. The teen's eyes snapped open, and he found himself unable to tear his gaze away from the movements of Vergil's pale hand against his own swollen flesh. Nero mewled loudly as his hands returned to gripping the now torn sheets next to him.  _

 

_ "Ah, Ver…Vergil… I'm gonna come…" he gasped out, feeling himself on the verge of his own orgasm. A strong hand moved forward and gripped the teen's chin, forcing Nero to look up into Vergil's face.  _

 

_ "Look at me," Vergil demanded, his strong, commanding voice sending a chill through Nero's burning skin. The teen locked eyes with him obediently, his own pants and moans giving way to a silent scream as his face contorted with pleasure and his whole body tensed up, making it hard to breathe, even as his body jerked up off of the mattress towards the other.  _

 

_ "Vergil!", Nero cried out, clinging to Vergil desperately as he exploded onto the man's chest moments later, his vision going white as an intense wave of heat and the most incredible sensation he'd ever felt passed through his body. The teen slumped back onto the mattress, too exhausted to do anything other than grip the sheets and bite his lip as he watched Vergil continue to pound into him. The older male's face tensed up slightly and Nero watched him grit his teeth, feeling an immense warming sensation filling his body before Vergil let out a small sigh and pulled out of him completely. _

 

_ Nero watched as Vergil moved to recline into the bedding next to him, not caring that they were both glistening with sweat and now plastered with feathers from the pillow Nero had accidentally destroyed during their tryst. The teen bit his lip as his eyes roamed over the lithe frame next to him, and he felt himself blush as he caught sight of the sticky white substance coating Vergil's stomach that the other hadn't bothered to wipe off just yet.  _

 

_ He couldn't believe that had just happened; sure, it was only in his 'dreams', but Vergil was real enough here, so it still counted in his opinion. Nero chewed on his lip thoughtfully for a moment before he careful slid closer to the other, snuggling up against the cool body.  _

 

_ 'Great, I'm a snuggler,' he snorted inwardly as he laid his head on Vergil's chest, testing his boundaries with the older male. Vergil didn't seem to mind, or at least, he didn't protest when Nero cuddled up against him, and Nero was pleased to find that a strong arm moved down to rest lightly on his back. Vergil felt as cold as ever against his still heated flesh, and it sent a light shiver through his frame. The other seemed to notice and pulled the blanket that had been kicked away earlier up over the two of them.  _

 

_ "Vergil… I—" Nero's words were cut off as a single finger was pressed against his lips, and cold blue eyes shifted down to look at him.  _

 

_ "Don't speak." Before the teen could protest, he felt himself being pulled up towards Vergil, closing his eyes as he prepared to meet the others lips with his own— _

 

A loud ringing interrupted Nero's thoughts, his eyes snapping open as the teen let out an irritated growl. Honestly, someone had to call  _ now _ ? Nero ignored the sound and buried his face into his mattress with a loud sigh. 

 

The teen had been lying in bed almost all day since he'd woken up, reliving every detail of his night's escapades with Vergil. He couldn't stop the images from replaying in his mind, even when he'd gotten up to take a cold shower. Nothing worked, he could still feel each and every sensation as if it were happening all over again. It was driving the devil hunter insane; he'd already bitten a hole into his pillow and he was running out of clean sheets. It didn't help that whenever he got especially excited, his devil bringer would glow, almost taunting him with the fact that he couldn't even really do anything about the situation while he was awake. 

 

Nero growled in frustration as the phone rang again, and reluctantly tore himself from the bed. By the time he found the damned thing, the caller had already hung up, which only pissed him off even more. Checking the caller ID, he was surprised to find that it had come from Dante's cell phone. There were no voicemails left though, so he figured whatever it was, the older hunter would either call back, or not even bother if it wasn't really that important. Nero chucked the phone to the side and flopped back down onto the bed. 

 

"Uuuuuggggggh," he moaned loudly, pulling a pillow over his head in a half-hearted attempt to smother himself. Maybe if he was lucky he would pass out and see Vergil; who knew, it might help him calm down. The teen couldn't help but to think back to how it had all gotten started last night; he'd never expected that Vergil would actually agree to anything like that. In fact, Nero couldn't believe he'd actually had the guts to ask for it himself. Everything had happened so quickly, but Nero could still remember it as if it had happened just moments ago, every little detail was burned into his mind.

 

_ His breath hitched in his throat as Vergil caressed his face, gently tucking a lock of his hair behind his ear. This was it, his chance to fulfill the fantasy he'd been having for weeks now.  _

 

_ "…I've decided what I want for my prize," he said, taking a deep breath as he locked eyes with the slightly taller male.  _

 

_ "And what would that be?" Vergil asked him, standing so close now that their chests were touching.  _

 

_ Nero felt himself shudder as that cool voice washed over him, sending a delightful chill up his spine. The teen bit down lightly on his own lip before he leaned up, pressing his lips lightly, cautiously, against the other's. Nero pulled back after a moment, studying the other's face for some reaction to his unspoken request.  _

 

_ Vergil's expression was a mask of indifference, and Nero was ready to back away and tell him never mind, feeling like a complete idiot for even thinking the other would agree to such a thing, when he suddenly felt Vergil's iron grip on his shoulders, freezing him in his tracks. Surprise shone in the teen's blue eyes as he watched the corner's of Vergil's lips twitch up into a knowing smirk before the man shoved him backwards.  _

 

_ Nero fell back, landing on something soft, which turned out to be a large and rather fancy looking bed. He'd forgotten how easily Vergil could do that here. Nero held his breath as he watched Vergil advance towards him, placing his knees on either side of the teen as he crawled onto the bed to hover over him.  _

 

_ "Vergil, I don't kno—" his words were forgotten as Vergil leaned in to lightly nip at his neck, causing Nero to inhale sharply as he bit down on his own lip. The young devil hunter reached up somewhat nervously to place his hands on Vergil's back, his eyes shutting slowly as the older male gently attacked his throat and collar bone with his lips. Nero let out a soft whimper as he felt the other sucking against the skin on his throat before a surprisingly warm tongue soothed over the spot and moved to his ear.  _

 

_ Nero's pants were beginning to feel uncomfortably tight at this point, and it made the teen chew on his lip more as he struggled to control himself. His eyes fluttered open as cold fingers deftly slipped under his shirt and made their way up his chest, teasing his warm skin momentarily before Vergil removed them and started to pull off Nero's coat and shirt. The teen sat up so Vergil could get the clothing off of his body before he was gently forced back down onto the mattress. He watched as pale hands returned to his chest, exploring the skin before one moved to tease at his left nipple, gently rubbing and toying with the bud until it was pert. Nero let out a small shudder and mewled with pleasure when Vergil replaced his hand with his mouth, licking and sucking on him as his hand returned to play with the other one. _

 

_ The teen squirmed around for a bit as Vergil teased him, kissing and licking at his flesh so that he was so distracted that he didn't notice the older male had unzipped his pants until the fabric was harshly yanked down his legs. Vergil sat back and ripped the cloth from around Nero's ankles, taking the boxers with the pants in the process and tossing the material carelessly to the side. The devil hunter gasped at the sensation of cool air suddenly hitting his most intimate parts and blushed, looking down to the side to avoid Vergil's gaze. He'd never felt so exposed in his entire life, it was a little nerve-wracking.  _

 

_ A surprised moan escaped his lips as he suddenly felt an incredibly hot, moist heat envelop his length. Stunned blue orbs immediately shifted to watch as Vergil took him into his mouth, the man's own icy blue gaze locking with his own. Nero tried to speak but his words were lost as Vergil's skillful tongue circled him and sucked hard, leaving the teen whimpering loudly and clutching the blankets behind him. The pleasure was overwhelming and when Vergil started to bob his head up and down, Nero couldn't help but to growl in excitement and tangle his fingers into the soft, platinum locks of the other's head.  _

 

_ "Shit, Vergil…" he moaned and tried to thrust into the man's mouth, only to find himself forced back onto the bed by strong hands pinning his hips down. Nero writhed in Vergil's grip, his breathing becoming faster and faster until suddenly the wonderful heat and suction was gone and he found himself staring down at the man with an accusing look in his eyes.  _

 

_ Vergil didn't speak, instead he stood upright and began removing his own clothes. Nero watched eagerly, finally getting to see what he'd so desperately wanted to in his fantasies before. The real thing was no comparison to his own imagination though, and the teen felt his breath catch momentarily as he took in the glorious sight.  _

 

_ 'Holy shit,' he thought to himself, licking his lips hungrily.  _

 

_ "Move," Vergil commanded him, motioning for Nero to move higher up onto the bed before rejoining the teen. Nero did as he was told, scooting back to rest in the pile of pillows at the head of the bed as he watched Vergil crawl towards him. His legs were yanked apart so that Vergil could position himself between them, and fingers were held up to Nero's mouth.  _

 

_ "Suck."  _

 

_ Nero obediently complied with the order, nervous blue eyes staring up into calculating ones.  _

 

_ 'This is seriously about to happen…' he thought with some apprehension as his tongue swirled around the digits in his mouth. _

 

_ When Vergil had deemed them coated enough, he removed his fingers from Nero's mouth and slid his hand slowly down, pausing just outside of Nero's entrance.  _

 

_ "Hold onto me," he said, and Nero did as he was told.  _

 

_ He understood why Vergil had told him to do so when he felt the first finger push through the tight ring of muscles, probing around lightly, carefully. It felt weird and Nero found that if he hadn't been clinging onto the other's shoulders, he might not have been able to hold still. His grip tightened and a small whimper slipped out when the older male added a second finger; this one actually kind of hurt. Nero's face scrunched up as he bit down on his already abused lips, digging his fingers lightly into Vergil's shoulders as the digits explored and stretched him.  _

 

_ "Relax, just breathe," Vergil instructed him quietly as he added a third finger, causing Nero to cry out softly and scrunch his eyes shut. After a few minutes the pain began to subside and Nero started thrusting back slightly against the fingers, forcing them deeper. He'd never experienced anything like this. The only person he'd ever been with was Kyrie, but that was completely different from what Nero was feeling now; it felt a little strange, but he wanted more. _

 

_ Nero opened his eyes when Vergil removed his fingers and stared up at the man, swallowing hard as he waited for what would happen next. He was a little scared, but if he didn't feel Vergil inside of him right now he felt like he might die.  _

 

_ "Vergil… please….," he begged quietly, shifting his hips to move closer to the other. He didn't miss the faint smirk that passed over Vergil's lips before the man nodded and readjusted himself on the bed to position against the teen's entrance.  _

 

_ Vergil didn't speak as Nero's grip returned to his shoulders, and he pushed into the boy. Nero cried out softly; Vergil was a lot bigger than his fingers and the pain was immense as the older male pushed in all of the way at an agonizing pace. Once he was fully sheathed inside of Nero, Vergil waited and allowed the teen to adjust to his size. Nero clung to his shoulders, pulling Vergil closer to himself as he left deep red marks in the man's pale skin.  _

 

_ Several moments passed until Nero finally felt like he could breathe again, and the pain became tolerable enough that he was ready for the other to move. The teen finally nodded at Vergil, who pulled back slowly and pushed back in, testing Nero's ability to handle it. Nero grunted, tears forming in the corner of his eyes, but he just held on as Vergil began to thrust a little faster. Eventually the pain became less and less and Nero started rolling his hips up to meet Vergil's, eager to feel more of the man inside of him. _

 

" _ Ver…Vergil… harder," he panted, wrapping his legs around the other's waist to pull him in deeper with each thrust. Nero's eyes flickered open as Vergil pounded into him, so hard that the bed was knocking against the wall loudly— _

 

It took Nero a few moments to realize that he was hearing the door, not his dream. There wasn't even a wall around that bed, now that he thought about it. 

 

"Ugh, you have  _ got _ to be kidding me!" he growled and sat up in the bed, shaking his bangs out of his eyes. The teen ran his hands through his hair and glared at his crotch, willing the tent in his boxers to go down so he could answer the door without looking like some weird pervert. Whoever was out there obviously wasn't going to leave without him answering, so when he'd calmed down enough to put on a pair of pants without seeming like a creep, Nero pulled the fabric up over his legs and trudged to the door. 

 

"What the hell d'ya wa—…" the teen yanked open the door, his words dying off as he stared at the person across from him. Just his luck.

 

"Heeeeey kid, I see you're still alive. Guess Lady owes me twenty bucks, heh," the man outside the door grinned, reaching out to tousle Nero's already messy hair. 

 

"Dante… what the HELL are you doing here?" Nero asked, the surprise clearly written across his face as he stared at the red clad devil hunter standing in the hallway of his apartment complex. Dante just shrugged back at him and folded his arms across his chest. 

 

"I was in the neighborhood and figured I'd drop in for a visit. And why don't you answer the phone once in a while if you don't want unexpected visitors," the half demon said as he casually pushed past the teen and walked into the apartment. Nero just continued to stare at his back, still in shock that Dante had actually shown up here. "Don't just stand around, kid. Go pack some clothes, you're coming to stay with me for a few days," Dante said with a lazy grin as he leaned against the wall. 

 

Nero just gaped at the man, not quite sure he was hearing correctly until the older male motioned for him to get a move on.

 

' _ You have  _ **_got_ ** _ to be shitting me.' _


	8. Seduction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains a lot of emotional manipulation and trickery.

It had been two weeks since Nero had found the book. Two weeks since Vergil had read it and found the information he was looking for. The half demon knew what he had to do; it was just the matter of actually  _ doing _ it. It would require help from the outside, that much was for sure. Luckily for Vergil, he had a perfect little pawn at his disposal. All he had to do was set the stage, and then all of the pieces would fall into place. Then he would be free; free from this confinement, free to do as he pleased and to go where he wanted, and he already had a few places in mind, such as paying a little visit to a certain loud mouthed idiot who had a bad habit of giving away his possessions.

 

Over those two weeks since the book had been obtained Vergil had contemplated just how exactly he was going to go about his plan. He knew he was skilled enough at manipulation to convince Nero to help him just by feeding the teen a few lines, but Vergil couldn't control outside factors and the last thing he needed was the boy letting it slip somehow and spilling the beans before he was ready, or possibly even changing his mind about helping. If that was the case, Vergil knew that he would lose his best, and possibly last, chance at freedom. If his brother were to learn of his situation before his escape, he knew that would be the end of everything. 

 

The most logical choice was to stick with Nero; the boy was already friendly with him, and so far hadn't mentioned their awkward situation to anyone. Of course, Nero had questioned him many times about what had been in the book, but Vergil always brushed the questions aside; he couldn't have the boy backing out on him now, not when he was so close. All Vergil had to do was make sure that Nero kept what was going on here to himself, and he had the perfect idea for accomplishing that.

 

During the time since the book had been found, Vergil had begun to formulate a solid plan. First he laid the foundation by keeping his end of the bargain; whatever Nero asked him to show him, Vergil complied with. He taught the boy to play chess whenever they took a break from the sparring and training, and listened whenever Nero felt the need to vent about his life or whatever else was bothering him. It all seemed like trivial matters in Vergil's opinion, but he never interrupted the boy and always seemed interested, no matter how boring he found it to be. Occasionally he even teased Nero and bantered jokingly with the boy to lighten the mood between them whenever it seemed like Nero was taking his criticisms during their lessons too personally. He couldn't have the boy shying away from him now, not when he was so close.

 

On this particular day, three and a half weeks since Nero had brought him the book, Vergil had decided it was time to initiate the next phase of his plan. He had to be careful now; anything too obvious and he would scare the other off, and possibly lose his chance at escape. The fact that Nero was once again in the incorrect stance gave him the perfect opportunity to test the waters and see what sort of reaction he received. 

 

Vergil ignored Nero's protests as he scolded the boy and smacked him in the back of the head to keep up his annoyed teacher appearance, and approached the teen from behind. Without warning the half devil slipped his arms around Nero and took his wrists in hand, moving the boy's arms into the correct positions. It was faint, but Vergil didn't miss the hitching of breath and the light tinge of pink that crawled across Nero's cheeks as the teen complied with his instructions. 

 

_ 'Perfect,' _ he thought to himself, struggling to contain the victorious smirk that was threatening to take him over. It was shy, and somewhat awkward, but it had been there. All of his hard work was beginning to pay off; all Vergil had to do was keep it subtle until the boy was ready, and then he would be on his way out of here.

 

Over the course of the next week, Vergil continued with his plans. At first he was careful, only making physical contact with the teen when it was necessary, but by the end of the week Vergil would find any excuse to place his hands on the boy, even when Nero wasn't doing that badly with the stances and motions. Every time he touched Nero, Vergil could see the blushes; he could hear the stammered words and sudden loss of that ever-present confidence the teen seemed to have. 

 

His plan was working even better and more quickly than he had expected, though the half demon suspected that was due in part to the fact that on the outside Nero seemed to be shunned by the community he lived in, leaving only Vergil for him to turn to for attention. The older male continued to use that to his advantage, growing bolder with his touches and watching the reactions they brought forth as the days passed. 

 

' _ Soon enough…. _ '

 

Nearly a month had passed since the book had been found, and Vergil could almost  _ taste _ his freedom. If he hadn't already known the reason, Vergil would have been extremely confused as to why Nero suddenly seemed to be having so much trouble with the stances and movements for the attack sequences he was teaching him. The tell-tale blushes and awkward aura emanating from the boy made it clear enough, though; Nero was doing it on purpose now. The boy had even taken to offering to play chess, even when Vergil hadn't asked first. 

 

Vergil considered the combination of those things to be the marker that the teen aged devil hunter was ready for the next stage of his scheme. There was no use waiting anymore, Nero was more than prepped for his plans and the longer Vergil waited the more his chances of being discovered increased. Tonight was the night; he would have to seal the deal or possibly miss out on his best chance for freedom.

 

The pair had taken a break from training to engage in another game of chess, their third that night, since the previous two games had resulted in Nero's defeat, and the teen seemed determined to prove that he could win. Vergil had teased him a little, mostly to get the boy riled up so that he would want to play again, and it had worked. The only difference was that Nero didn't know that he would be winning this particular round. Vergil was careful not to make his moves obvious, for Nero had actually been getting better at the game, and if the boy realized that the half devil was sabotaging himself then that would ruin Vergil's plans. 

 

When Nero finally called out "Check”, Vergil did his best to look displeased with the situation. He had the teen exactly where he wanted him though, in his turn he would flip the tables to unsettle him, and then all Nero had to do was recognize his chance and claim that one square and the game would be his. The half demon picked up his queen and placed her carefully on the board, before shooting a frosty glare at the boy to seem irritated. 

 

"Check," he replied coolly, folding his arms across his chest as he waited for Nero to take his turn.

 

Nero seemed to study the board for a while; his nose wrinkling in what Vergil had come to learn was an obvious sign that the teen was confused and annoyed with something. Vergil left him in silence to study the board, watching with a small bit of amusement when, after several minutes, Nero finally seemed to spot his opening. He watched the boy's eyes widen in recognition as he checked and double checked the board before a smug smirk spread across his face. He picked up his own queen and placed her where Vergil's had been, grinning at the older male like he'd won the lottery. 

 

"Checkmate," the boy declared, looking extremely pleased with himself as he waited for Vergil to react to his victory. 

 

Vergil pursed his lips, pretending to be deep in thought as he stared at the board for a while. After a minute or two, he finally reached out and plucked his King over onto its side, and shifted his frosty gaze up to Nero. 

 

"Well done," he congratulated the boy, keeping his tone even and calm so as to not give anything away. Nero seemed relieved when Vergil finally spoke to him and asked about his prize. Vergil pretended to contemplate the question for a while before he finally stood up, motioning for the other to follow him. Everything over the past month had been leading up to this moment, and Vergil was ready to finish this.

 

The pair had relocated away from the table and chairs, mostly so Vergil could have a reason to stand closer to Nero without seeming suspicious. The close proximity was necessary if he was going to get the boy to go along with what he had planned for him. He studied the teen, icy blue eyes roaming over every inch of the smaller male as he watched Nero squirm, just the way he wanted him to. After he was certain the boy was thoroughly unsettled and blushing, Vergil locked his gaze with that of the curious boy, and spoke. 

 

"Since you've done so well… I've decided to give you a special prize," he explained, smirking ever so slightly to show that it was nothing sinister. He watched how the panic and nervousness spread through the curious blue eyes before him, and smiled somewhat reassuringly at the teen. "You may ask one thing of me, anything you want, and if it is in my power to do so… then I will grant whatever request it is that you have," Vergil continued, studying Nero's face as his words finally sank in.

 

Vergil watched as Nero seemed to be wrestling with himself about what he should ask, and rather than sit and wait, he decided to help influence the teen's decision. The half devil placed a hand lightly on Nero's shoulder, stepping closer to the boy to remove more of the space between them. 

 

"It's not that hard, really. Just pick something,  _ anything _ …" he coaxed, giving the boy a smoldering look to help emphasize the obvious choice. When Nero bit his lip, Vergil nearly snorted aloud; he practically had the boy hook, line, and sinker. All he had to do was give him that last little push, and it would be clear sailing from here on out, he was sure of it. 

 

When the shaky, nervous voice spoke his name, the boy obviously trying to find the words to make the forbidden request, Vergil took the opportunity to slowly slide his hand from Nero's shoulder and up to the boy's face, where he gently tucked a lock of platinum hair behind Nero's ear. 

 

"Yes?" he replied, his tone low and enticing as he closed off the last little bit of space between them. He could feel the boy's heartbeat pounding through his chest as the pair stared into each other's eyes. The teen aged hunter finally seemed to gather the courage to speak, and looked up to Vergil with determination burning in his eyes. 

 

"…I've decided what I want for my prize," Nero said firmly as Vergil stared back down at him. 

 

"And what would that be?" the half devil asked with an amused smile. Vergil struggled to contain the malicious smirk that had begun to make its way onto his face as Nero leaned up and hesitantly placed his lips against Vergil's in response.

 

Vergil let out a small sigh as he untangled himself from Nero and collapsed comfortably into the bedding. It had been a long time since he had indulged in such…  _ human _ pleasures, but it was a necessary sacrifice in his opinion; a means to get to his desired results, nothing more. Of course he kept his true intentions hidden beneath a comfortable, relaxed façade; it wouldn't do to alert Nero to his plans just yet, especially after all of the 'hard work' he'd just put into it. 

 

It was hard for Vergil to resist the urge to wrinkle his nose; he felt disgusting, completely covered in sweat and feathers and the product of Nero's excitement, but he reassured himself that it would be cleaned up soon. As uncomfortable as the situation was, Vergil couldn't deny that Nero had been an amusing little toy to play with tonight. It might not be so hard to bring himself to do this again if necessary, but he would hold off on that for now. The sensations and emotions still felt a little foreign to him, so there was no reason to jump the gun on this sort of thing; he would have plenty of opportunities to have another go at it if he wanted, especially with the way Nero was moaning and mewling all night.

 

Movement next to him snapped Vergil out of his thoughts and he glanced down to see that Nero had decided to use his chest for a pillow. He might have found it cute if he didn't think it was so pathetic, but instead of brushing the boy aside, Vergil lightly wrapped his arm around Nero. The elder male felt Nero relax underneath his fingertips and smirked a little; Nero was so easy, all he had to do was show him a little attention and affection and the boy was like putty in his hands. A small shivered passed through Nero and Vergil immediately reached down to tug the blankets up, being careful to keep the teen as comfortable as possible, lest he start to doubt Vergil's intentions. 

 

_ "Vergil… I—"  _ The soft, unsure voice caused icy blue eyes to shift down to Nero's face, and Vergil quickly placed a finger to the boy's lips to silence him. 

 

"Don't speak," the half devil interjected, staring with an unspoken intensity at the teen. Before Nero could say anything else, Vergil pulled the boy to himself and pressed his lips to Nero's, tangling one hand comfortably in his hair. Vergil let their lips linger together for a moment in a soft, tender kiss before he slowly pulled away. "Go to sleep," he said quietly but firmly with an affectionate expression on his face that carefully masked his more sinister inner thoughts. 

 

Nero seemed unsure, but he gave a weak smile and nodded anyways, knowing that 'sleep' meant he would be waking up soon. As the boy closed his eyes and snuggled back into Vergil's chest, the older male smirked like the devil he was and relaxed into the pillows again, one arm still carefully draped around to boy to provide a feeling of safety and comfort while the other hand lightly stroked his hair in a calming manner. His cold, calculating eyes flickered down to observe how serenely Nero lay there cuddling with him, and one thought passed through his mind.

 

' _ Checkmate.' _


	9. Subjugation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains a lot of mental and emotional manipulation, and some sexual content relating to that. These sort of themes continue throughout the story, so please be advised of that when reading, as I may not post warnings on future chapters.

Nero looked at his surroundings with mild curiosity. He'd never actually been to Dante's shop before; every time he'd seen the devil hunter the man had been visiting Fortuna for whatever reason. It was a little odd to be in his shop/home, but Nero felt it had a distinctly 'Dante' feel to it, from the pool table to the beat-up jukebox in the corner, and even the empty pizza boxes stacked on the desk. 

 

"Don't you ever clean this place, old man?" he asked as he dumped his bag on the floor next to the couch and sat down. 

 

"Heh, that's what I got Trish for, right babe?" Dante replied, glancing at the blond haired woman perched on the desk just in time to see and dodge the pen launched at his head with enough force that it was embedded in the wall behind him. 

 

Nero snickered at the pair, finding it easy to forget his troubles while he was here instead of feeling weighed down by them like he was in Fortuna. The teen hadn't been so sure about coming to Dante's place at first, but now that he was here, he was glad. They basically just spent the night eating pizza and drinking— well, Dante drank, he had tried but Trish had replaced his beer with a soda and finished the beer off herself. 

 

Nero had taken to wandering the shop while Dante tried to show off how he could balance an empty beer bottle on his nose. The teen made his way over to Dante's desk, glancing over the old magazines and general clutter until something caught his eye. It was a small picture frame, and inside was a picture of a woman who looked nearly identical to Trish, but Nero could tell it wasn't her, something was just too different. He picked the picture up, turning it over curiously in his hands. He blinked in surprise when the frame popped open and quickly moved to catch the pieces before he dropped them. 

 

"Damn it," he mumbled, trying to put the picture back into the frame when something else fell out. Nero's brow wrinkled in confusion and curiosity as he sat the pieces of the frame and the picture of the blond woman on the desk and bent down to pick up what looked like a second picture. Bright blue eyes widened in surprise as he saw that it was a picture of two young children, both mirror images of each other with brilliant white hair and blue eyes. Nero turned the picture over to examine the back for any writing or marking to explain, but found nothing. 

 

"Hey, you found my picture," a voice cut in suddenly from behind the teen, causing Nero to jump slightly and spin around on his heel. 

 

"Dante! I just… I mean, the frame, it opened and I ju—" Nero's sentence was cut off as Dante waved him off and plucked the photo from the boy's hands. 

 

"It's been a while since I looked at this… I swear, Vergil even had that stick-up-his-ass look when we were kids," the man snorted, waving the photo back and forth. 

 

Nero froze on the spot, eyes wide and his mouth hanging slightly open. He couldn't believe that he had heard that right, there must be some mistake. 

 

"….Vergil?" he asked, lips pursing together. 

 

"Yeah, Vergil, my brother, I told you about him, remember? That's his sword you have, you know," Dante shrugged somewhat drunkenly.

 

Nero shook his head in disbelief, his ears ringing and feeling like someone was squeezing the air out of his chest. 

 

"You said you had a brother…" he agreed, still in shock as he gaped at the picture. No one had ever mentioned they were twins. 

 

"Yeah, my twin brother, Vergil, older than me by like  _ twenty _ seconds but he still acted like it was a few  _ years _ instead. He died a while back though…" Dante explained, seeming to grow more somber as he explained his twin was dead. "But anyways, enough about that, let's put this away and have some fun," Dante said, brushing the subject away as he grabbed both photos and the broken frame and shoved them into the top drawer of the desk. 

 

The younger hunter had a million questions for Dante, but he couldn't seem to work his mouth to ask them, and it was obvious the older man was trying to change the subject, so he just nodded dumbly and followed him back to the couch.

 

Nero spent the rest of the night doing his best not to show how disturbed he was. A few times Dante asked if he was alright, and the teen could feel Trish's suspicious gaze on him every now and then, but he just played it off and said he was tired from the trip. Finally around two in the morning Dante decided they should get some sleep. Trish had already bailed on the party an hour beforehand, for which Nero was thankful; Dante was less inquisitive when she wasn't there to add fuel to the fire. 

 

"Okay kid, Trish has the spare bedroom and the only other one is mine, so you can crash here on the couch," Dante explained as he walked off to fetch an extra pillow and blanket. Nero accepted the items and nodded, not really caring where he slept and just wanting Dante to hurry up and leave already so he could try and figure everything out. Finally the man left, a beer in his hand as he made his way upstairs to his bedroom, leaving Nero alone on the couch.

 

He wasn't sure how long he lay there, but Nero knew it was a while. He was apprehensive about going to sleep. How could he, knowing what he knew now. The teen knew he needed to confront Vergil about it, but he was also dreading hearing the truth. 

 

' _ How could you be so stupid? They looked exactly alike and you never even thought to question it anymore!' _ he scolded himself as he pulled the pillow over his face. The more he thought about it, the more foolish he felt. Vergil had lied to him over and over again and he had believed it without a second thought. 

 

"You're pathetic…" he mumbled to himself, shaking his head. 

 

As worked up as he was, Nero willed himself to calm down; he needed to be asleep to speak to Vergil, and that wasn't going to happen if he kept laying here fuming about it. The couple of drinks he'd had after Trish left seemed to help a little, and Nero finally managed to pass out after another hour or so.

 

When Nero woke up, he found himself alone in the usual place. The teen narrowed his eyes, scowling as he glanced around for any sign of the liar he was looking for. 

 

"Vergil! Get out here, you bastard!" he shouted, spinning around angrily as he tried to find the man. "Quit hiding from me and  _ show yourself _ !" the young devil hunter barked, panting angrily as he scanned the room. 

 

A sudden iron like grip on his shoulders startled the teen, and Nero found himself unable to move. A soft, cool breeze brushed against his left ear as the strong hands on his shoulders pulled him back. 

 

"Nero… " an all too familiar voice started, but was interrupted by a loud growl from Nero as he pulled away to glare at Vergil. 

 

"You son of a bitch! You lied to me! All this time, I can't believe you!" he snarled, taking a swing at Vergil, who easily dodged the attack. 

 

"Nero, just give me a moment to explain. You see, I—" 

 

Nero snarled and tried to punch him again, effectively cutting off Vergil's sentence. 

 

"NO! Shut up, you  _ liar _ !" he cried out, struggling to hold back the tears he hadn't felt forming until now. "How can you expect me to believe  _ anything _ you say now?" he shouted, his chest heaving with emotion as he struggled to contain himself.

 

With a frustrated growl, Nero turned away, feeling too sick and disgusted to even look at Vergil right now. 

 

"You bastard, I did everything you asked, I let you touch me, I  _ trusted you _ !" Nero shouted, pulling at his own hair in frustration. Strong arms wrapped around him from behind and Nero struggled, growling and trying to break free but finding himself unable to. 

 

"Nero… If I had told you who I was, you would have run off to Dante and he would have done everything in his power to get rid of me," Vergil explained, keeping his hold on the teen. 

 

"As he should have! God, I never should have believed anything you said! This whole time you've been playing me just so I could help you do  _ who knows what _ !" Nero hissed, elbowing Vergil roughly in the stomach, but it seemed to make no difference.

 

"Nero. I may have lied about who I was… but that was only because I didn't want you to write me off and get rid of me, or worse. Think about it… who's been the only person to listen to you? Who's been here to help you, to talk to you, spend time with you? To  _ care _ about you? Even Dante couldn't be bothered to return your calls. I've done everything you've asked… and more. If I was just using you, would I have gone so far as what we did last night? Everyone else had abandoned you, but I was there for you. I'm sorry I lied but I was scared. Scared at first that you would tell Dante, and then scared that you would leave me," Vergil said quietly as Nero looked to the floor, the teen's face flushing slightly. He wanted so badly to believe the other, to believe that everything he had said and done wasn't a lie, but how could he now? 

 

"You're lying…" Nero said, pulling away once more as Vergil's grip on him loosened.

 

Nero paced in a circle, rubbing his temples in frustration as he tried to think clearly. Vergil did have a point; even Dante hadn't bothered returning most of his calls in the last few months. Kyrie had left him, the town had shunned him, but Vergil always seemed willing to spend time with him. The man had lied… that much was obvious, but he'd also taught him to play chess, helped him with his sword work, everything he'd requested, no matter how outrageous. 

 

' _ But he lied, he could be lying right now! _ ' the teen argued with himself.

 

Cool hands on his shoulders pulled Nero back out of his thoughts and he glanced up at Vergil, who'd come to stand in front of him. 

 

"Nero… if you tell Dante, he'll do everything in his power to break us apart. He'll never let us be together… don't you want to be with me?" the older male asked as he ran his fingers through Nero's hair. 

 

The teen gulped, unsure of how to respond. He wanted to say yes, but he was scared that Vergil was just lying to get himself out of trouble. 

 

"Nero. I don't want to lose you. Aren't you tired of only seeing me when you go to sleep? Why do you think I've been trying to free myself so badly?" Vergil asked him, and Nero shook his head in response. "If you help me, then we can be together all of the time… but if Dante finds out before I'm freed, he'll never let me go. He won't let us be together…" the man explained again, causing Nero to bite his lip.

 

Nero started to turn away once more when Vergil spoke up again. 

 

"I want to be with you forever…" Vergil said as he sank to his knees, pulling Nero with him. "I love you… don't leave me," the man whispered against the teen's ear, placing a gentle kiss there. 

 

Nero felt his breath catch in his throat at the confession, his body too numb to move even as he felt those cool lips make their way across his skin until they connected with his own lips. 

 

"Vergil…" he murmured, still in shock as he stared at the man before him. Nero thought his heart might have possibly stopped for a few moments after that confession. His mind was screaming at him that it was a lie and to get away from the bastard, but the part of him that had been abandoned and forgotten by everyone he'd ever known was desperate to hold on to the one constant in his life these past few months. Nero's mind was whirling, his thoughts spinning out of control as he wrestled internally with his own response to what Vergil had said, too distracted to even notice the other was still kissing him softly.

 

Several long minutes passed with the sound of Nero's breathing and the muffled sound of lips on bare skin being the only noises to break the silence. When the teen finally spoke up again, his voice was shaky at best. 

 

"V-Vergil…" he panted, gently pushing the other back enough so he could look him in the eyes. Nero studied the man's face for any signs of deception, for any clue that the other hadn't meant what he'd said, but all he found there was complete sincerity. "….If you're lying to me…. I'll never forgive you, and I'll get rid of you myself," he said, his lips pressing together in a firm line as he let the other take in his words. 

 

The logical side of his mind hated him for giving in and believing Vergil, but it wasn't enough to stop the part of him that had been hurt by everyone he thought had cared about him from doing what it wanted. Vergil nodded somberly and placed his hands on either side of Nero's face, gently brushing the teen's hair back out of his face. 

 

"No more lies, I promise," he replied, and Nero gave a small sigh of relief, resting his forehead against Vergil's. Maybe he wouldn't tell Dante about this… but he would definitely have to find out more about Vergil. 

 

The man had said Dante would get rid of him, but other than that, he didn't have any clue about the relationship between the pair. Obviously it was bad if Vergil thought Dante wanted to dispose of him, but Vergil had seemed so… nice, at least to him. Nero almost wished he'd paid attention to the Order's lessons, then he might have had at least  _ some _ clue about it all.

 

After a minute or so Nero decided that maybe it wouldn't hurt to ask Vergil about everything. He could always question Dante when he was awake, but he wanted to hear what the apparent elder twin had to say. If Vergil lied, Nero would know when he asked Dante about it and then he could tell the red clad devil hunter everything, and if not, then at least he would know the truth. 

 

"Vergil… why would Dante want to get rid of you? If you're his twin… then shouldn't he want you back?" he asked, pulling back so he could look the other in the face. He studied Vergil's face as the older man seemed to think it over before finally replying. 

 

"I made some bad choices when we were younger… we fought over it. Naturally I can only assume that he would see my reappearance here as another attempt by me to cause trouble for him," Vergil shrugged. 

 

Nero opened his mouth to respond but found it quickly assaulted by Vergil's own, and he momentarily lost his train of thought. Nero lost himself in the kiss for a bit until he finally broke free for air and gave Vergil a look that said he wasn't finished with him yet. 

 

"Well, what did you do?" he asked, only to find his throat attacked next. 

 

"I tried to open the demon realm," Vergil replied, nipping down on Nero's throat and effectively distracting him from any further questions for the moment.

 

Nero wasn't sure when he'd ended up on the floor, or when he'd lost his shirt, but he didn't entirely mind. He still had questions though, which were increasingly hard to ask when Vergil was doing what he was doing with his tongue. 

 

"V-Vergil… quit… quit dodging the questions!" he protested once he realized what had happened, squirming underneath the larger man. The lack of response from the other made the teen huff in response, and he reached down, somewhat regrettably, and pulled Vergil back up by his hair. "Why did you try to open the demon realm?" he asked, licking his lips to wet them after panting so much. It was a fair question in his opinion, and he could see why Dante would be worried about it happening again. 

 

"Because I wanted power… but that was a long time ago, and the details don't really matter now," Vergil replied, placing his finger over Nero's lips before the teen could ask anything else. "I learned my lesson, so don't worry," the elder man added as he began to remove his own clothes. "Why don't you save the questions for later and let me apologize to you…" he suggested, cool breath washing over Nero's neck as he lightly bit him and then pinned the boy to the floor. 

 

Nero wanted to protest, but somehow never found the strength to open his mouth and do so.

 

The next day Nero found himself trying not to blush as Dante told him to keep it down when he was asleep. 

 

"Next time warn me you talk in your sleep so I can make you crash outside. You were down there making all sorts of weird noises and stuff, I couldn't sleep at all!" the elder hunter complained. Nero tried not to laugh when Trish rolled her eyes and pointed out that Dante had still managed to sleep in past noon and then hit the man over the head with the newspaper in her hands, forgetting his embarrassment and thanking his lucky stars that Dante didn't know  _ why _ he'd been so loud. 

 

"Eh, sorry, next time I'll try to keep it down…" he shrugged, playing it off as nothing.

 

They finished their lunch with no more mention of it and Dante invited Nero to come along on a job with him that afternoon. The teen agreed, figuring it'd be a good chance to work off some stress and maybe, if he was lucky, find out Dante's side of the story on Vergil. With that hope in mind, Nero hurried off to grab his weapons, eager, and a little desperate, to hear that Vergil hadn't been lying again.


	10. Discovery

"Hah! That makes sixteen for me, kid. Try beating that record," Dante laughed, eying Nero with his usual cocky smirk. Nero rolled his eyes and raised his middle finger in the elder hunter's direction as a response before swinging his sword straight through the middle of another demon. 

 

"Eleven for me, but mine were way bigger than yours, asshole," Nero shot back as he spun around to stop another demon trying to attack him from behind. 

 

"Yeah, yeah, kid, whatever helps you sleep at night," Dante responded with a chuckle as he unleashed a barrage of bullets into the nearest group of demons. 

 

Nero watched him work out the corner of his eye as he continued to plow through his own half of the pack. When Dante had invited him out on this job he hadn't been expecting such a huge infestation to be waiting for them. But Nero couldn't complain, it kept him busy and it gave him the perfect opportunity to question the devil hunter while he was too busy to make up an excuse or escape.

 

Deciding that Dante was as distracted as he was going to get, Nero took his opportunity to question the older hunter. 

 

"So, about your brother… how exactly did he die?" the teen asked, cleaving his sword through yet another demon before he chanced a glance at Dante. The man had tensed up slightly, mostly in his face, but that was the only noticeable reaction Nero could see. 

 

"… We fought. He lost," Dante replied, his clipped tone a far cry from the way he usually spoke to Nero. 

 

"Oh… sorry," Nero replied, suddenly feeling very bad for bringing it up again but he just had to know. Nero hacked away a few more of the vile creatures attacking them before he decided to continue with his line of questioning. "Why were you fighting? What was so bad between you two that it ended up that way…?" he asked quietly, just barely heard over the din of the battle. Nero noticed the way Dante seemed to falter just slightly, but the man quickly recovered and gritted his teeth, taking his now obvious discomfort and frustration out on some now very helpless demons. 

 

"…He wanted to open the demon realm. I couldn't let him," Dante shrugged as if it was as simple as that, but Nero knew that it wasn't.

 

For a few more minutes the only sounds that rang between the pair of hunters were their weapons and the screams of fallen demons echoing through the abandoned warehouse they were currently in. Nero waited until they were down to the last few members of the large group of demons before he carried on with his inquiry. He knew from his dreams before he'd actually met Vergil that something else had happened between the siblings. 

 

"That's not all… is it?" he asked, eying the man with a look that said he wasn't going to buy any bullshit. 

 

Dante didn't answer right away; instead the man hacked through the rest of the group with his sword until all that was left were a few corpses that were quickly melting away into nothingness. 

 

"…. Look kid, I don't know why you care so much but if you'll drop it after this then fine, I'll tell you," the man replied sighing loudly as he holstered and sheathed his weapons. 

 

Nero was instantly alert, turning his full attention to Dante as he put away his own weapons. A heavy silence hung between the pair, and Nero was just about to question Dante again when the hunter finally spoke up. 

 

"Vergil didn't die when he tried to open the demon realm. He  _ jumped in  _ after I stopped him and basically said he wanted to stay there," Dante explained with an odd, almost pained expression on his face, one that Nero had never seen before in all his time of knowing the man. "I didn't see him for a few years, and when I did, I didn't know it was him until it was too late. So yeah, I killed my brother without even knowing it was him. Now, is that it?" Dante asked, frowning deeply at Nero. 

 

The teen instantly felt bad for dredging up the past, the expression on Dante's face and the hard edge to the man's voice making it all the worse, but he didn't regret asking. 

 

"Yeah… thanks for telling me," he said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Dante grunted and gave a small shrug before leading the way out of the warehouse so they could head back to his shop, their job here done.

 

Nero felt immensely better once he was back inside of Dante's shop and had the chance to take a shower and clean the demon gunk off of himself and his clothes. He'd gotten what he wanted out of Dante, and it matched up with Vergil's side of the story. More details would have been nice, but the teen wasn't going to push his luck with the other devil hunter, especially after how tense things had gotten earlier. Dante himself seemed to have forgotten the whole ordeal, for which Nero was grateful; he didn't need to alienate anyone else in his life right now, or at the very least, not until Vergil was freed. 

 

Once he was finished dressing, Nero wandered downstairs in search of a snack and found Dante snoozing at his desk with a post-it note stuck to his forehead indicating that Trish had gone out for the day. Shrugging, the teen headed into the kitchen and helped himself. When Nero emerged from the kitchen, now feeling rather full and satisfied, he noticed Dante was still asleep. 

 

"Lazy…" he muttered under his breath as he passed the desk and made his way further into the shop. He hadn't actually had a full tour of the place yet, and since there wasn't much else to do in this dump, Nero decided to explore a bit. 

 

There wasn't much to the place, a couple of bedrooms, bathroom, the kitchen and main room/office. The teen was just starting to give up on finding anything interesting when he reached the end of the hall and peeked into the last room. What he saw inside made his eyes widen in surprise. The room was full of all sorts of things, from strange looking knick knacks to some of the most amazing weaponry he'd ever seen. Nero knew Dante had a pretty impressive arsenal, but some of this stuff he'd never seen or even heard of before. 

 

"I guess the old man really gets around…" he muttered as he stepped inside, eying the vast array of weapons that were mounted to the wall. Scythes, crossbows, and even a wicked looking guitar were all littered about the walls like trophies. One particular item caught the boy's eye and Nero headed straight to it, pulling it from the wall to get a closer look. It looked like a set of nunchaku, except there was an extra piece added on so that the weapon had three sections instead of two. Nero grinned and swung it around, feeling the chill in the air as the weapon whizzed by his ear.

 

Nero played around with the weapon some more until he accidentally hit the leg of his pants and the fabric froze over, which he took as a sign to put the thing back where he'd found it. The young hunter made his way further into the room, picking up various items that caught his eye. There was so much in here that he was certain he could spend an entire day and still not see everything that was packed into the place. 

 

The teen was looking over a vile of strange black liquid when a reflection in the corner caught his eye. Looking up in the direction that the light had come from, Nero saw what looked like the corner of mirror that was half covered with a dusty old sheet. Inexplicably drawn to the thing, Nero wandered over to the mirror and yanked the sheet away. He coughed a bit as the dust billowed up and then settled, the teen's eyes widening once again as he stared at what had been under the sheet. 

 

Before him stood the most ornate and impressive mirror Nero had ever seen in his life. The frame was what looked like pure gold and covered in intricate carvings of what resembled some sort of angels, or maybe even demons, the teen couldn't be exactly sure, amidst swirling vines and patterns that wove it all together. Black and red jewels were embedded along the surface of the frame, making the entire thing glitter with an almost unearthly light.

 

The teen wasn't sure how long he stood in front of the mirror just looking at it before he finally reached out and touched it. His hand instantly recoiled, feeling as if he'd touched something alive. This mirror definitely wasn't something you'd buy at the local antique shop. Nero's devil bringer immediately began to pulse, flashing wildly as if trying to gain his attention. 

 

"….Huh?" the teen frowned, glancing down at his glowing arm that seemed to be having a serious reaction to the mirror. He was just about to touch the mirror again when a hand clamped down on his shoulder. Nero jumped into the air a good few inches, gasping in surprise as he whirled around to face whatever had snuck up on him. 

 

"Pretty nice, ain't it? Found that thing a while back, but it's not exactly the type of thing you can just pawn off or something, so I figured I'd keep it here. Better than it being out there with someone else, anyways," Dante explained with a shrug. 

 

"What is it…?" Nero asked, glancing back at the mirror a little nervously while he simultaneously tried to hide his devil bringer under his sleeve better so Dante wouldn't notice the pulsing light. 

 

"Hell if I know. Looks like a mirror, but it's obviously got some pretty dark stuff coming from it, that's why I locked it up back here. Now, if you're done playing treasure hunter, how about a game of pool? Loser buys the pizzas," Dante smirked and turned to leave the room. 

 

"Then you'd better get your wallet out now, old man, because you're going down," Nero snorted as he trailed after the man. He had a feeling that mirror would be important from the way his arm had reacted, and decided he would ask Vergil about it tonight when everyone was asleep.

 

Six rounds of pool later and Nero was starting to rethink this whole bet. Every time one of them would lose, they would insist on 'double or nothing' only to have the other win and the cycle would continue. 

 

"Alright, old man, when you lose this round just suck it up and order the food already!" Nero insisted in an annoyed tone as he racked the balls for their seventh game. Dante had just opened his mouth to respond when the front doors flung open to reveal Trish with an armful of pizza boxes. 

 

"Settle down boys, dinner's here," she said in a teasing tone as she walked into the shop. Right behind her, a woman with dark, short cropped hair and a ridiculously revealing white outfit walked in holding a case of beer. 

 

"And drinks," the woman added as she followed Trish in and kicked the door shut with the heel of her long boots. Nero eyed her for a moment until Dante introduced them. 

 

"Kid, Lady. Lady, Nero," he said, motioning between the pair. The pool game was quickly forgotten by both silver haired males as they followed after the women like starved dogs, ready to eat and drink until they couldn't walk.

 

Nero couldn't remember the last time he'd had so much fun. Trish had seemed to let up on the no drinking rule for him, muttering something about him doing it anyways, for which Nero was grateful. Lady seemed pretty cool, and Nero found it highly entertaining whenever Dante would step out of line and the woman would threaten to shoot him in the head. Dante seemed to take the threats pretty seriously, which left Nero and Trish laughing every time. 

 

As much as he was enjoying the partying with the group, Nero sighed in relief when everyone finally gave in to their exhaustion and tottered off to their rooms, Lady sharing with Trish rather than chancing a drive home or taking the floor, and left him alone. The teenaged devil hunter was anxious to get to sleep once the buzz and excitement of the party wore off. He wanted to find out if Vergil had anything to do with what had happened with the mirror earlier, considering the last time his arm had had that reaction was when Vergil had been trying to convey a message. Nero pushed aside all thoughts of guiltiness at how Dante would react if he found out what he was doing and stretched out on the couch. Surely the hunter would forgive him once he saw that Vergil wasn't a threat anymore. The man just wanted to be free, that was all.

 

Time seemed to tick by slowly, but soon enough Nero found that he was no longer in Dante's shop, but in the strange marble room that he'd become accustomed to seeing each night. 

 

"Vergil? Vergil!" the teen shouted as he wandered around, wondering why the man he was looking for was nowhere in sight. "Vergil, come out here, I need to talk to you!" Nero grumbled impatiently. An icy breeze on his neck was the only warning Nero received before strong arms pulled him back against a firm chest and a velvety voice ghosted over his ear. 

 

"Welcome back," the half demon practically purred into Nero's ear. The teen shivered involuntarily before prying Vergil's grip loose so he could turn and talk to the man. 

 

"Vergil, I found something today that I thi—"Nero found his sentence cut short by a singular finger pressed against his lips. The icy touch nearly froze him to the core but the teen shook it off, glancing up at Vergil with a frown. 

 

"I know," Vergil replied calmly. "You did well… very well," the man continued, giving Nero a small smile. The teen felt his heartbeat a little faster when he saw that smile, something Vergil rarely did, just for him.

 

Vergil seemed to be deep in thought about something as he wandered the room while the young hunter watched him, wondering what this could all possibly mean for them. 

 

"This means we can get you out, right?" Nero asked after a moment, a slightly hopeful tone to his voice. 

 

"It's a possibility," Vergil nodded, glancing back at the teen with an unreadable expression on his face. "It will require some effort on your behalf, but if successful, then yes, I could very well be freed of this place," the half devil explained. 

 

"Just tell me what to do. We'll have you out of here in no time," Nero said, the excitement clear in his voice. He couldn't believe it; it was almost hard to take in. He might actually be able to get the demon trapped inside of him out once and for all. Not only that, but he wouldn't be alone anymore, for the first time in his entire life he wouldn't be abandoned by someone he cared about. It was a bit strange trying to imagine life again  _ without _ Vergil in his mind, but the teen was excited at the prospect nonetheless.

 

Nero still wasn't sure how that mirror was supposed to help them, but Vergil believed it would, so that was good enough for him. 

 

"So, how exactly is that thing supposed to help get you out, anyways?" the boy asked curiously. 

 

Vergil turned to regard him with a thoughtful look. 

 

"Do you remember that book I asked you to find?" the older male asked, to which Nero nodded. "Well, to put it quite simply, it contains the instructions for the process to extract me from your body… and that mirror just so happens to be the perfect tool to do so," Vergil explained. "If you hadn't found it, who knows how long we would have had to search for a suitable device…" the man added quietly, seeming to frown as he considered the possibility. 

 

Nero nodded his understanding, amazed that they had been so lucky. And to think, the biggest help to them had come from the one person who would more than likely be the  _ last _ person to ever try and help Vergil return to his life in the human realm. The young devil hunter walked over to join Vergil, giving him a tentative smile. 

 

"Alright then… just tell me what all you need from me and let's do this," he said, his face breaking out into a grin. 

 

Vergil hummed quietly in thought before wrapping an arm around the boy's shoulders and walking him towards the bed. 

 

"First things first, you'll have to wait until Dante and the rest aren't in the shop, we can't have them walking in and spoiling everything…" the man explained as they walked. 

 

Nero listened eagerly as Vergil explained everything in detail to him about what he needed to do. 

 

' _ I can't believe it… this is really it, _ ' he thought to himself as the pair sat on the bed discussing Vergil's escape. 

 

"I can't wait to see you on the outside, you know, for real…" Nero said, his slightly red face showing his embarrassment for sounding so eager. 

 

"Neither can I. It will be… an occasion to remember, that much is for sure," the half devil said, smiling at Nero, and the teen found himself unable to speak for a few moments as he stared at that dazzling smile. 

 

"Yeah… an occasion to remember," the teen laughed. Tomorrow couldn't come fast enough as far as Nero was concerned.


	11. Emergence

The days seemed to drag by since Nero found the mirror. Dante and Trish were always around doing something, and the young devil hunter couldn't seem to get them to go out for a while without them insisting on dragging him along with them. All Nero needed was maybe an hour tops, and then he could finally free Vergil from his mind. He'd been at the shop nearly a week now, and both his and Vergil's patience were wearing thin. 

 

Every day the demon inside of him seemed more and more on edge, and Nero couldn't blame him. He knew it wasn't ideal being trapped in someone else's body, especially when he could only control his environment to a degree and the only social contact the man had was when Nero was asleep. The teen was surprised Vergil had lasted this long as it was; he had to get him out, and soon, for both of their sakes.

 

Nero was beyond frustrated with the entire situation. The only plus side to waiting was that it gave him time to make sure he was prepared for what releasing Vergil was going to entail. It didn't sound overly difficult from the way Vergil had explained it, but the teen was still worried that he would do something to screw it up and lose Vergil forever. He'd never tried to do something like this before, and didn't have any other similar experience to draw from, so he was extremely nervous. Nero kept telling himself that this had to go right, if it didn't then he would lose the only person he really cared about and it would be entirely his own fault. He couldn't live with himself if something happened to Vergil, the teen had come to rely on the older man far too much, he'd realized, and didn't know how he would cope if this all went wrong. 

 

The one thing that kept his spirits up was the look on Vergil's face when he told Nero how much he was looking forward to seeing him, to  _ touching _ him in the real world finally instead of just 'pretending' here, as the man had put it. The thought alone gave the young devil hunter the motivation to do this, no matter the consequences or the risk.

 

Dante was going to be beyond pissed at him, Nero was certain of it, but he didn't care. He wasn't counting on Dante looking past what he was about to do because the man was so overjoyed to see his twin, but he could hope, as slim as the chances were. Nero was more inclined to believe that maybe, just  _ maybe _ , with some time, and after the initial shock wore off, that Dante could come to see what he had seen: that Vergil really wasn't a bad person. 

 

The teen knew he didn't know all that much about their history together, but how could someone who treated him the way that Vergil did be evil? Whatever the man had done in the past, Nero was certain that Vergil had changed. The trick was convincing Dante of that, but he knew there was no use in rushing it. They would all just have to let things play out with time and happen naturally, as impatient as Nero was. He didn't want to push Vergil too hard to get along with his twin, either. The teen couldn't help but to notice that in all of his talk about 'getting out' and 'being free' and together with  _ him _ , Vergil really hadn't mentioned his brother at all. It was strange, but Nero hadn't wanted to push the other man who was already so stressed out, despite Vergil's best efforts to hide it. Still, despite his apprehension, Nero was curious to know what Vergil had planned as far as his brother was concerned, and decided to ask him when Vergil seemed to be in a better mood.

 

Nero's chance to talk to Vergil came sooner than he'd thought it would after he ended up taking a nap on the couch when it became apparent that Dante wasn't going out on a job today. The teen found himself back in the usual place where he always encountered Vergil, but it was different somehow. The strange tension that he'd been feeling lately had seemed to dissipate, and Nero took that as a good sign that perhaps Vergil was beginning to relax about the whole situation. 

 

"Vergil…?" he called out, wondering where the devil was hiding this time. 

 

"I'm right here," a smooth voice spoke from directly behind him. Nero whirled around quickly, thankful that he hadn't jumped this time, and gave Vergil a half hearted glare. 

 

"Quit doing that!" he scolded, hoping he didn't look as startled as he'd felt. Vergil didn't reply and instead circled Nero, eying the boy like a tiger on the prowl. Nero tried to ignore the look and the subsequent chills it was giving him, knowing that he had more important things to deal with than Vergil's bedroom eyes. 

 

"Vergil, I have to ask you something…" he started, taking a step backwards to try and escape the predatory expression on the other man's face. When Vergil didn't respond Nero assumed that that was his cue to continue. "You haven't mentioned what you plan to do about Dante once we get you out. You've told me what you think he's going to do… but not what  _ you're _ going to do." Nero watched in silence as Vergil seemed to contemplate what he'd said for a bit, not wanting to interrupt whatever thought process was going on in the devil's mind, but he desperately wanted to know. 

 

"I don't really know. I suppose that's all dependent on how he receives my return to the human realm," Vergil finally replied with a shrug and ran a hand through his own hair. 

 

The teen wanted to question him further, but decided to let the matter drop. It was a decent enough answer, and he didn't really know what else to say to it besides the small, "Oh," that he muttered.

 

Nero was contemplating asking Vergil to wake him back up just to escape the awkwardness that was beginning to settle over them once again when he suddenly found himself being shoved against the wall by the man. His eyes widened as he stared at the half demon, unable to ignore the way that Vergil was staring at him. 

 

"Vergil… what are yo—" Nero's words were cut off as Vergil locked their lips together, taking the opportunity of Nero's mouth still being partially open to work his tongue inside. All thought of arguing or trying to get out of the situation melted away when the older man crushed his body against Nero's, pinning him in place against the wall and allowing the younger of the pair to feel his excitement. 

 

Nero groaned and slid his hands down Vergil's body, trying to get at the other's pants and open them, but his wrists were snatched harshly by Vergil instead. The devil hunter couldn't stop the whine that came from him as he was denied what he wanted, but he was rewarded with Vergil's hips rocking delightfully against his own. Nero's head tilted back and he gasped as he felt Vergil's erection grinding against his own through their pants, making him shiver with anticipation. 

 

"Vergil, please," he begged in between pants as he eyed the devil currently torturing him.

 

Somewhere in the back of Nero's mind the teen couldn't help but to notice that Vergil seemed to be the most 'frisky' whenever he tried to question him about something. Any thoughts on that quickly flew out the window when Nero was suddenly spun around, his wrists still clutched painfully tight in Vergil's hands, and he was forced against the wall again, this time with his back to the devil. 

 

"What… what are you doing?" he gasped out as the older male easily pinned Nero's wrists above his head with one hand. Vergil didn't answer him right away and instead wormed his free hand around to Nero's front while using his body to hold the boy in place on the wall. 

 

"Taking you," Vergil finally replied, nipping Nero's ear harshly while his fingers crawled down the teen's chest and to his groin. 

 

Nero cried out as he was groped slowly and purposefully over his clothes and then felt the ice cold fingers dipping under the waistband of his pants. The devil hunter hissed in pleasure and pressed himself further into the wall when Vergil's hand closed around his length, and the demon wasted no time as he began to stroke him at a fast pace. 

 

"Ah! Vergil, hnng…" Nero groaned, glancing back over his shoulder with a dazed expression, his tongue hanging slightly out to the side. He felt like butter in the older man's hands, barely able to control himself and they didn't even have their clothes off yet.

 

Nero closed his eyes again when Vergil's motions paused and he slid the teen's pants down so that they pooled around Nero's ankles, leaving the boy exposed to the icy air around them. He wasn't cold for long, however, as he suddenly felt burning hot skin pressing against his back and thighs and realized Vergil had removed his own pants as well. 

 

"Ver-AH!" Nero cried out as the hand closed around his erection again and began to jerk him roughly. The grip on Nero's wrists was released and Vergil circled that hand around to grab Nero by the thigh, pulling his legs a bit apart so that he could slide his own length in between them teasingly. He thrust against Nero over and over again, leaving the teen blushing furiously at the torture and the sound of skin scraping skin. 

 

"Please!" he begged, earning a small growl from the other male that sent shivers down Nero's spine. 

 

"Whatever you say, kid," the devil replied, and Nero's eyes shot open. 

 

"Wha-…what did you say?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder as if Vergil had grown a second head. 

 

"I said,  _ Kid, wake up! _ " the demon replied, and the next thing Nero knew, he was staring up at Dante, the dusty ceiling fan just barely visible behind the older hunter. 

 

"What… I don't…" Nero mumbled, his train of thought completely leaving him as he tried to get a bearing on his surroundings. 

 

"Kid, what the hell? You got night terrors or something?" Dante asked and Nero just shook his head. "You were doing it again, moaning and thrashing around. If you keep that up then I'm gonna have to make good on my offer about sleeping out back in a tent or something," the older man threatened. 

 

Nero just shrugged awkwardly and stood up, quickly turning his back to Dante so he could adjust himself so that the man wouldn't see his 'problem'. 

 

"I'm gonna go take a shower…" Nero said and hurried out the room, thankful that Dante didn't try to stop him since he definitely needed a cold soak right about now.

 

A short while later Nero was just stepping out of the shower when there was a loud knock on the bathroom door. 

 

"What? I'm almost done!" he called back at whoever was outside and then grabbed a towel. He was still slightly mortified by what had happened earlier, though he was thankful that Dante either didn’t notice what was happening, or had spared him the embarrassment by pretending not to.

 

"Hey, Kid, Trish and I are going out on a job. You just hang out here, we'll be back in a couple hours," Dante said through the door. Nero froze in his tracks, staring at the door with a blank expression as the information clicked in his mind. Dante and Trish were leaving… for a couple of hours… and he would be all alone. 

 

Quickly wracking his brain for a response, Nero shouted back through the door after him, "Okay, I'll just go to bed early or something!" 

 

The teen didn't waste any time in pulling his clothes on and then pressed his ear to the door, straining to hear whether or not Dante had left yet. It seemed silent outside of the bathroom, so the young devil hunter stepped out cautiously, just in case one of them was straggling behind. 

 

"Dante?" he called out as he made his way to the stairs and glanced down them. "Trish?" Nero quietly crept down when he heard no responses and looked around the shop. It was deserted. With a silent cheer and a sudden wave of nervousness, Nero grabbed the flashlight he'd hidden under the couch and hurried down to the armory, more than ready to get the plans started to release Vergil.

 

Once inside the Armory, Nero flipped on the flashlight so no one would notice the light on and locked the door behind him, just in case someone showed up unexpectedly. He couldn't be interrupted during this, or it might not work. With that done, the teen hurried over to the mirror across the room and yanked the dusty old sheet away. He had stored the items he would need for tonight in a pillowcase under the sheet with the mirror the next day after Vergil had explained what all he had to do. The teen quickly pulled out the pillow case and dumped the contents on the floor. There was a dish towel, a small knife, a plastic cup, a post-it notepad with the information he would need written on it, and an extra pair of pants. Nero wasn't sure what he would need the pants for, but Vergil had insisted so the teen had stuffed in a pair of sweatpants he usually slept in. 

 

Nero placed the flashlight on the floor and quickly began to sort out the items. He knew he had to work quickly; there was always the chance that Dante would come home early and he had no clue how he would explain this to the devil hunter should he be caught in the act. The teen took a deep breath as he knelt down and double checked that he had everything. He was scared, but excited. 

 

_ 'This is really about to happen…' _ he thought to himself as he picked up the small steak knife and pressed it to his wrist. The devil hunter quickly made a slit, wincing a bit at the small sting but the pain was quickly forgotten as he sat the knife aside and grabbed the cup. Nero carefully held his arm over the edge of the cup, trying not to think how morbid this was as he watched his own blood begin to fill the small plastic cup. When he thought he had enough for what he needed, Nero grabbed the dish towel he'd set aside and held it over the wound for a bit, giving it some time to close up before he proceeded. 

 

"So far… so good," he murmured to himself to keep calm and focused. 

 

After a couple minutes Nero tossed the towel aside with the knife and looked over the post-it pad with the instructions on it. Along with his hastily scribbled notes, Nero had written a much neater and more precise set of what looked like some sort of symbols. Vergil had said that he could read it, and that all Nero needed to worry about was writing them correctly without any mistakes. This was the part he was dreading, but the teen grabbed the plastic cup in one hand along with the notepad from the floor in the other and stood up to face the mirror.

 

With a shaky breath, Nero tore off the top page of the post-it notepad and stuck it to the mirror's frame so that he could look at it and have his hands free. He tossed the rest of the notepad onto the floor since he no longer needed it and shifted the plastic cup full of blood so that he could hold it with his left hand and 'write' with his right, and then began to work. 

 

The teen was slow and meticulous in his task, trying to make sure every symbol was drawn on the surface of the mirror exactly as it was on the paper. It was difficult writing in blood, and a little disturbing, but Nero was determined to finish it. He had to; he couldn't let Vergil be stuck there forever, and he didn't honestly expect to have another perfect opportunity like this. Dante was eventually going to wonder why he hadn't gone home yet, and Nero was running out of excuses; it was now or never. 

 

It seemed to take ages, but finally Nero was putting the finishing touches on the very last symbol. He sat the cup aside and wiped his hands on the towel before grabbing the sticky note to compare it to his work. The young hunter took a step back and held the note out, looking between it and the glass for any discrepancies in the two. 

 

"It's perfect," Nero murmured to himself as he examined and re-examined the mirror, finally satisfied that it was correct as he looked over the ring of symbols he'd written out. He quickly tossed the paper away and glanced over his shoulder to double check that he was still alone, just in case. The writing had taken him far longer than he'd planned, and Nero knew he didn't have much time left to finish this; he had to move quickly now.

 

Nero braced himself in front of the mirror and closed his eyes as he began to focus all of his energy. His eyes snapped open as his demonic energy flared up and Nero summoned Yamato to his hands. It had been a while since he'd held the sword, and it felt good. Nero couldn't help but to hesitate, though, as he wondered if it would still feel the same when Vergil was gone. He didn't even know if the man would be alright with him keeping it. The devil hunter had tried asking Vergil once but all the half devil had said was that he didn't need to worry about losing Yamato, and they'd left it at that. 

 

"Here goes nothing…" Nero murmured and drew Yamato back, channeling all of the demonic power that he could muster from the blade. 

 

In one swift motion he stabbed out at the mirror, aiming for the center of the circle that the symbols made up. Nero's eyes closed instinctively against the expected shower of glass, but it never came. After a moment the teen's eyelids fluttered open and he chanced a glance at the mirror, and then his brilliant blue eyes immediately widened at what he saw. 

 

Yamato's blade was embedded into the mirror, and the surface of the glass was rippling as if it was some sort of liquid. His reflection was no longer showing on the other side like it should be in a mirror. The surface of the mirror was now showing different scenery as if he was looking into a window instead.

 

Nero hesitated, unsure what he should do next. Vergil hadn't explained this far, the man had only told him to stab the mirror and he would do the rest. As if on cue, Nero's right arm began tingling, his devil bringer glowing brighter and brighter by the second. It felt like all of his energy was being sucked down a drain through his arm, and Nero had a hard time keeping a hold on the blade. The hunter wasn't sure how long he could take this, it felt like his arm was being pulled inside out, but eventually the tingling began to subside, starting from the top of his arm and working its way down. As the sensation slowly drained from his arm, Yamato's blade began to glow from the hilt and then moved further down, into the mirror and towards the tip of the blade. 

 

"….Vergil?" Nero gasped out as the energy completely left his arm and filtered to the tip of the sword. 

 

Nero was completely entranced as he watched the energy pour out of the tip of the blade and then slowly but surely began to take on a familiar shape. Within what felt like hours but was probably just a minute or two, a spectral figure was holding on to the end of Yamato's blade, staring back at Nero. The figure slowly began to take a more solid form as the seconds ticked by, until Nero was face to face with Vergil.

 

Time seemed to freeze as Nero gaped at the mirror, not quite believing what had just happened. 

 

"I-it worked…. It worked!" he shouted excitedly. 

 

Vergil's face remained as expressionless as ever as he stood before Nero, glancing himself over to make sure everything was in its rightful place. It was only then that Nero realized that Vergil was completely naked, and then finally understood the request for pants. He should have known Vergil's spirit wouldn't have been able to take any luggage along. Nero smiled brightly and reached for the mirror, only to withdraw his hand as Vergil snarled at him. 

 

"DON'T TOUCH IT!" the demon snapped, and Nero recoiled with a hurt and confused expression. 

 

"But why n—"He was silenced by Vergil raising his hand and motioning at the glass. 

 

"Do you  _ want _ to be pulled in? Don't touch it. Pull the sword out," the icy half devil commanded and Nero nodded his understanding. 

 

The teen gripped the sword's handle tightly as Vergil gripped the blade in the same manner, seemingly not phased as it cut into his hands. With a silent count of '1, 2, 3', Nero gritted his teeth and pulled as hard as he could on Yamato's handle. It was like pulling the sword through cement, the hunter could barely make any headway with it, but he refused to give up. He pulled and struggled, slowly but surely making progress as Vergil's arms began to emerge from the surface of the glass. 

 

"Come on!" Vergil demanded, looking strained as he was pulled between the outside world and the mirror prison he was in. 

 

Nero groaned and put every last bit of strength he had into one final tug, feeling like his arms might dislocate any second now. Suddenly the force pulling in the opposite direction was gone and Nero found himself falling backwards and into the floor. A heavy weight landed on him, but thankfully the mass sheltered him from the spray of shattered glass that followed. The teen glanced up, dazed from hitting his head on the floor, and came face to face with a pair of stunning yet cold blue eyes. 

 

"…Vergil?" he spoke, suddenly feeling very intimidated by the man on top of him. 

 

The half devil didn't speak as he climbed to his feet and brushed the shards of glass away, and Nero felt his breath catch in his throat as he watched. Vergil was here. He was here, and he was real, and he was  _ naked _ . The hunter quickly scrambled to his feet and snatched up the spare pants he had brought along, his face blood red as he offered them to Vergil. 

 

"Uh… here, um, the pants," he muttered and looked away.

 

Nero was silent as he listened to Vergil get dressed and finally looked back when he thought it was safe enough. 

 

"It worked… you're really here…" he murmured, staring at the half devil, still in a state of semi-shock. Nero didn't know what to think nor did he know what to do. He'd been imagining this day over and over again but to have it actually  _ happen _ was amazing and terrifying at the same time. "Vergil…? Are you okay?" he asked tentatively since the other man hadn't really spoken yet. 

 

As if by some weird coincidence thunder crackled outside just as Vergil slowly turned to face him, a dark smirk spreading across his face.

 

 "Never better."


	12. Persuasion

"Vergil! Get out here, you bastard!" The shout echoed through the room, and Vergil was less than thrilled as his pleasant silence was interrupted by Nero's yelling.  _ " _ Quit hiding from me and  _ show yourself _ ! _ " _ The demand rang loudly throughout the room as Vergil reached up and massaged his temples, already feeling a headache coming on. 

 

He had known this day would come, but the half devil had been hopeful that it wouldn't be so soon. He was so close, and this was just throwing a wrench in his plans. Sure, he was confident he could handle it, but that didn't make the situation any less annoying. Vergil sighed softly and decided to just confront Nero head on and get it over with before the boy got himself too worked up and made things more difficult on them both.

 

Vergil silently made his way up to Nero from behind and placed his hands on the boy's shoulders, intending to calm him down and explain his side of the situation, but it seemed that Nero wasn't in the mood to listen. The demon did his best not to roll his eyes as Nero threw the expected tantrum and even took a swing at his face, which Vergil dodged without a problem. Vergil kept his composure, which wasn't easy when he had the overwhelming urge to slap the teenager for his insolence, and tried to speak to him once again. 

 

"Nero, just give me a moment to explain. You see, I—" Vergil found himself dodging yet another attack as Nero cut him off once more, and the older male pursed his lips together in what he hoped was a remorseful enough expression. 

 

Nero was far more upset than he'd expected, but the half devil wasn't concerned. The more emotional Nero became, the easier he was to manipulate. The boy was far too angry and hurt to think clearly, all Vergil had to do was to get Nero's mind moving in one direction and the teen would do the work himself. Nero was practically crying as it was, this would be easy enough for Vergil to handle.

 

The elder of the pair watched and listened as Nero began to shout at him again, but before the teen could run off or get more worked up, Vergil calmly placed his arms around the boy from behind and held him in place. Nero struggled in his grip, but Vergil knew it was important to keep him still. He wanted Nero to feel close, to feel safe, even while his mind struggled with his emotions. Vergil was calm as he took a deep breath and began to explain why he'd lied to Nero. It was crucial that he sounded sincere, any little bit of doubt in Nero that wasn't dealt with and crushed immediately could be devastating to his plans for escape, and Vergil had worked far too hard to allow that now. 

 

"Nero… If I had told you who I was, you would have run off to Dante and he would have done everything in his power to get rid of me," the demon explained, keeping his grip firm around Nero as he felt the teen squirming in protest. Vergil rolled his eyes from behind the boy as Nero continued to argue and attack him, and then the half devil pressed on. 

 

"Nero. I may have lied about who I was… but that was only because I didn't want you to write me off and get rid of me, or worse. Think about it… who's been the only person to listen to you?" Vergil asked, his breath tickling Nero's ear in a calculated move to send a shiver down the boy's spine. Who's been here to help you, to talk to you, spend time with you? To  _ care _ about you? Even Dante couldn't be bothered to return your calls. I've done everything you've asked… and more," he added, allowing the words to sink in for a moment before he continued. "If I was just using you, would I have gone so far as what we did last night? Everyone else had abandoned you, but I was there for you. I'm sorry I lied but I was scared. Scared at first that you would tell Dante, and then scared that you would leave me." The lies came easily once he started, and Vergil was pleased to see the blush coloring Nero's cheeks. It seemed he was having the desired effect on the teen after all.

 

Nero accused him of lying, and Vergil let him go, his icy blue eyes never leaving the smaller male in front of him. The half devil wasn't concerned; he could see the emotions and turmoil swirling in the other's face as Nero paced back and forth. If he hadn't believed Vergil, the boy would have already told him to go to Hell and left; the fact that he was here in front of him fighting with himself was like a victory flag being waved for Vergil. All the demon had to do was nudge that last little bit of doubt away and his escape would be certain. Nero really was the perfect pawn; Vergil still had a hard time believing his luck with the whole situation.

 

When he felt like Nero had been left to his own devices long enough, Vergil grabbed the teen by the shoulders and pulled him back to face him. Now he would convince the other to see things from his point of view, make him feel his own supposed ‘desperation’ with the situation.

 

"Nero… if you tell Dante, he'll do everything in his power to break us apart. He'll never let us be together… don't you want to be with me?" Vergil murmured softly, running his hand through Nero's hair for added effect. 

 

The tender motion made him feel ridiculous, but Vergil was willing to do just about anything to be free of this prison, as he'd already proven to himself the other night. The telltale gulp that came from Nero nearly made Vergil grin with delight, but the devil managed to keep the slightly sullen and hopeful expression on his face despite his excitement. 

 

"Nero. I don't want to lose you. Aren't you tired of only seeing me when you go to sleep? Why do you think I've been trying to free myself so badly? If you help me, then we can be together all of the time… but if Dante finds out before I'm freed, he'll never let me go. He won't let us be together…" Vergil continued, trying to drill the thought into the boy's head that if he gave up on him now, he would never have anyone else. Vergil wanted Nero to feel helpless and alone, it would keep the teen under his thumb where he wanted him until the devil was able to make his escape, and then he wouldn't have to care or worry about the young hunter ever again.

 

As Nero bit his lip, a silent cheer echoed inside of Vergil's mind; he was so close now. Nero turned away and Vergil knew it was now or never, he had to seal the deal with the teen before his hard work slipped away. 

 

"I want to be with you forever…" The half demon pulled Nero to the floor with him and held him close, then whispered into his ear, "I love you… don't leave me." Vergil placed a light, tender kiss to Nero's earlobe, listening as the teen's breath hitched in his throat. 

 

' _ Perfect.' _

 

Vergil didn't stop there, however, and began to slowly kiss his way all across Nero's throat and then his face until he connected their lips together. It seemed like Nero was in a state of shock, the teen didn't move for a while even as Vergil continued to kiss him. Hearing his own name slip from the boy's mouth brought a small smirk to Vergil's lips before he quickly pushed it away, knowing he'd won already, even if Nero didn't realize it yet. The boy wouldn't fight him now. He might take a bit to acknowledge the decision, but the answer would remain the same.

 

Vergil allowed Nero to sit in silence as he kissed him, keeping the teen's mind focused where he wanted it to help encourage him to say the words he wanted to hear. Finally, after what felt like far too long in Vergil's opinion, the teen hunter spoke up and pushed him away so they could look at each other properly. 

 

Nero's threat was almost comical to Vergil, but the devil just nodded somberly in response and reached up to tenderly hold Nero's face. He carefully brushed some of the boy's bangs out of his face and murmured, "No more lies, I promise." 

 

Vergil continued to toy with Nero's hair even as the teen rested their foreheads together; doing his best to give the other a sense of comfort and security even as he thought about how pathetically easy it had been to convince Nero of his lies. He didn't feel guilty in the least, and it would be a lesson learned for the boy not to trust a devil so willingly, if anything. 

 

_ 'Not that I care if he learns a lesson or not, _ ' Vergil snorted to himself.

 

The silence was welcome, and Vergil was actually content to just sit there, but it seemed like Nero had more questions for him. The half devil did his best not to look too annoyed at the inquiry and thought over his answers, not wanting to seem suspicious after just having repaired Nero's trust in him. He supposed it was only natural for Nero to wonder about why his relationship with his twin had gone south, so the demon gave him the best answer he could to stifle the questions. 

 

"I made some bad choices when we were younger… we fought over it. Naturally I can only assume that he would see my reappearance here as another attempt by me to cause trouble for him," he explained with a small shrug. 

 

Nero looked like he was about to ask another question, so Vergil immediately pounced on the boy and began to kiss him fiercely, hoping to distract the teen before he could. Nero wasn't the type to be deterred though, Vergil discovered, and the older male had to stifle a groan when Nero managed to pull away and ask him what exactly he'd done. 

 

"I tried to open the demon realm," Vergil explained and immediately bit down on the boy's throat. The strangled groan that escaped Nero's lips was a welcome sound, and Vergil proceeded to distract the boy to the best of his abilities.

 

Vergil didn't waste any time in pinning Nero to the floor and peeling the boy's shirt over his head. Nero was so easy, the boy crumbled at his mere touch, as evidenced by the way the teen gasped and wriggled when he leaned in and sucked lightly against the bite mark he'd left on Nero's throat. Vergil took no pleasure in what he was doing; it was all to further his plans, as he kept telling himself. The more entranced with him that Nero was, the more willing the boy would be to do as he asked, it was as simple as that. 

 

Vergil wasn't in the mood for another round of the emotional rollercoaster with the teen, he was already at his limit of acting like he cared for the day, so he decided to cut to the chase and began to unbuckle Nero's belt. The half devil hummed quietly under his breath and easily opened the button and zipper of Nero's pants as he bit down roughly on the boy's throat. He may not have particularly cared about the physical interactions between them, but the demon had to admit that he  _ did _ enjoy the feeling of dominance he got from it. It made it all the easier for Vergil to seem sincere and look like he was enjoying it, and helped to mask his true intentions behind the acts.

 

Vergil carefully pried Nero's boxers down the boy's hips along with his pants, exposing the teen's body to the cool air around them. He smirked slightly as Nero winced and wriggled beneath him, and easily pressed the smaller body back into the floor. 

 

"Ssh," he murmured as he leaned down and slowly ran his tongue along Nero's length, causing a violent shudder to pass through the boy. The demon smirked once again as he took Nero's arousal into his mouth, sucking lightly against the skin as he swirled his tongue around the tip teasingly. He closed his eyes as he began to bob his head up and down slowly, taking Nero's full length into his mouth with each pass and then pulling back so just the tip lingered between his lips. Nero's cries of pleasure filled the air as Vergil's tongue worked its magic, making sure the boy was thoroughly enjoying himself. The half devil tilted his head at an angle and allowed his tongue to snake to the underside of Nero's erection, tracing the skin there slowly and torturously before encasing the appendage in his lips once again. Nero began to thrust up into his mouth and Vergil growled quietly, trying to push him back to the floor. 

 

"V-Vergil… quit… quit dodging the questions!" the teen whined as he continued to squirm beneath Vergil's hold, but the devil ignored him and reached a hand up to massage Nero's thigh as a further distraction.

 

The half devil groaned quietly as he was forced up by his hair to face Nero, his patience wearing thin already. The boy was practically begging to be plowed into the floor, but that damned curiosity of his just kept creeping back up, much to Vergil's annoyance. 

 

"Why did you try to open the demon realm?" he asked, and Vergil nearly rolled his eyes again. The demon pretended to consider his answer for a moment before he finally replied, looking as somber as he could manage while he was kneeling in between Nero's legs. 

 

"Because I wanted power… but that was a long time ago, and the details don't really matter now." Vergil quickly placed his finger to Nero's lips when the young hunter looked like he was about to question him further and gave him a sincere look. "I learned my lesson, so don't worry," Vergil explained as he began to pull his own clothes off. Obviously this was going to take more effort than he'd realized initially. "Why don't you save the questions for later and let me apologize to you…" the demon said quietly as he crawled over Nero and nipped his throat before forcing the boy to the floor beneath him once again.

 

Vergil stared down at Nero with an icy intensity in his eyes. This was becoming a habit with them, and he wasn't sure he liked it.

 

_ 'It's a necessary move, nothing more,' _ he told himself as he forced Nero's legs apart. 

 

One of the devil's hands clamped around Nero's length and stroked it roughly as the other hand slid between the teen's legs and he pressed his fingers against his entrance teasingly. Nero mewled loudly beneath him and Vergil took that as his cue to proceed. He didn't speak as he inserted his index finger inside of the hunter, his cold blue eyes staring down at the smaller frame beneath him with a quiet seriousness. The half devil had to admit that this wasn't  _ entirely _ awful, but he still felt like the very act was beneath him. He didn't need this sort of thing, he was  _ better _ than that. This was all for Nero's benefit, to keep him happy and docile. 

 

_ "And that's ALL,"  _ he told himself as he worked his finger around.

 

Vergil was tired of wasting time and without warning forced two more fingers into the tight body beneath him, ignoring Nero's protests of pain. He didn't have time for this, the devil had already spent enough time drying the boy's tears and making him feel 'good' about himself, his patience had reached its limit for the day long ago. 

 

"Ver…Vergil…Ah!" Nero groaned from beneath him and forced his hips up. 

 

The demon assumed that meant the other was ready and quickly removed his fingers, eliciting a whine from the teen in the progress. Vergil remained as quiet as ever as he pulled Nero's legs up and the boy took the cue to wrap them around his waist. He positioned himself against Nero's entrance and immediately began to press inside of him; one hand resting on Nero's hip to hold him in place as the teen began to squirm. So maybe he enjoyed that slightly pained expression twisted on Nero's face, but Vergil just ignored the thought and tried to focus on the task at hand, which was pleasuring this boy so that he stayed the obedient, oblivious little 'puppy' that he'd become over the last few months.

 

There were no sweet words exchanged between the pair as Vergil began to move, the only sounds to be heard were the soft whines and moans coming from the younger hunter and the occasional grunt from the half devil above him. Vergil didn't feel the need to speak; even when he slammed his hips against Nero's roughly and the teen screamed out his name, he remained silent. Vergil rolled his hips into the smaller frame beneath him, beginning to pant a little as their bodies slid together more quickly. 

 

Nero looked a little distressed and overwhelmed, so the half devil reached down and caressed his face to bring his attention back to himself. The older male's hands slid down Nero's hips and over his thighs, one pausing to grip the underside of a thigh and the other forcing the boy's other leg to bend at the knee as he pulled Nero flush against himself in one swift, rough motion. He was rewarded with a loud cry of pleasure from the teen and Vergil smirked ever so slightly and began to thrust into him with more vigor, eyes locked with the half-lidded pair beneath him in a silent command for him not to look away. Nero squirmed and clawed at the floor beneath him as Vergil watched, taking a silent enjoyment in the power he held over the boy right now. 

 

"Vergil… I can't… please!" Nero begged, and the devil's smirk grew a little wider. 

 

That was faster than he'd expected, but he supposed it was partially due to the boy's emotional state. Not that he was complaining, as unfortunately  _ enjoyable _ as it actually was, he had other matters he needed to attend to besides this. Vergil nodded and pulled both of Nero's legs up to rest over his shoulders as he leaned over him fully and began to thrust into him more harshly. His eyes remained trained on the figure below him the entire time, watching the way Nero's face contorted and his eyes screwed shut with pleasure. It was interesting for Vergil to see the way Nero's lips parted and his tongue formed the screams and moans spilling from his mouth so easily, most of which were Vergil's name. He hadn't really guessed at first that the boy would be so vocal, but at least he knew he was enjoying it.

 

Vergil growled softly and, when he'd had enough of examining the teen, grabbed his hips tightly and slammed his length into the lithe frame under him as hard as he could. He was rewarded seconds later with a long, shuddering moan and a sudden wet hotness spurting across his chest before Nero slumped back onto the floor, his eyes clenched shut as his mouth hung open lazily. Vergil grunted at the added pressure around him and forced his hips into the warm body beneath him a few more times before he felt himself release, though he was much quieter than the younger male had been. Only a low, rumbling growl escaped Vergil's lips as he rocked into Nero a few more times as the wave of heat quickly passed through his body and left him feeling strangely euphoric. 

 

The devil remained motionless for a few moments, ignoring the tired gaze that was trained on him while he regained his composure. Without a word, Vergil finally sat back on his knees and separated himself from the sweaty mess below him, running a hand through his hair to slick the unruly white bangs back the way he liked them. Nero was still watching him, and reached up to touch his arm as he spoke, 

 

"Vergil… that was—" 

 

"I think it's just about time for you to be getting back," Vergil interrupted, glancing down at the boy with a flat expression. Nero looked a little hurt, and Vergil fought the urge to roll his eyes as he leaned in and lightly kissed the teen's temple. "I'll be here when you go to bed," he reassured him, and the hunter seemed to cheer up a little. 

 

"…Okay…" he nodded and Vergil woke him up before Nero could have a chance to protest or stall any longer.

 

"Ugh, that was exhausting," Vergil groaned to no one in particular as he stood up and cleaned himself off. He may have enjoyed the power that he felt when they were together, but Vergil definitely wasn't a fan of the mess that was always being left behind. No wonder he'd never particularly cared for this sort of thing before, it was all so… uncouth. Far beneath a superior devil like himself, the only reason he was doing it was to further his plans, and that was all. 

 

"That's the  **only** reason," he reaffirmed with himself as he changed his clothes and went back to the book he'd been reading before Nero had arrived.

 

Vergil had managed to keep himself busy while Nero was out with Dante all day. He had plenty to read while he watched and waited for something to happen, and luckily enough for him, the boy had stumbled across what could very well be his salvation, and the teen didn't even realize it yet. Even better, Dante didn't know that he was harboring the very tool that Vergil would use to escape. 

 

' _ I can't wait to see his face when he finds out, _ ' the devil thought bitterly as he snapped the book in his hands shut when he heard Nero calling for him. Vergil snuck up behind the boy and his arms circled the smaller body tightly, pulling him back against his chest. 

 

"Welcome back," Vergil purred, enjoying the way Nero shivered before extracting himself from his grip. The teen was excited, that much was obvious as he started to explain what he'd found, but Vergil cut him off. "I know. You did well… very well," Vergil continued, giving Nero a faint smile to let him know that he'd done a good job. 

 

_ 'Very well indeed,' _ the devil added mentally, fighting down the maniacal grin that was threatening to spill across his lips.  _ 'I am so close.' _

 

The half devil paced the room for a bit as he considered just how to go about his escape. He knew what the mirror was immediately, it was unmistakable, and he still had a hard time believing his luck. Nero had been one thing, so easily manipulated and controlled, but then to have the key to his escape just  _ handed _ to him like this, it was nearly too much. 

 

"This means we can get you out, right?" Nero's voice cut into his thoughts and Vergil glanced up, considering his question. 

 

"It's a possibility," Vergil confirmed with a nod as he glanced back at the other with a flat expression on his face, hiding his true emotions. "It will require some effort on your behalf, but if successful, then yes, I could very well be freed of this place," Vergil continued. His remarks seemed to light a fire in the teen, and Vergil gave the boy a thin smile as Nero excitedly asked him what he needed to do to help. 

 

"Do you remember that book I asked you to find?" Vergil asked and then continued when Nero nodded. "Well, to put it quite simply, it contains the instructions for the process to extract me from your body… and that mirror just so happens to be the perfect tool to do so. If you hadn't found it, who knows how long we would have had to search for a suitable device…" the demon added, a thoughtful tone to his voice as he considered just how long that might have actually been. Vergil watched as Nero approached him, a hopeful smile on the boy's face as he spoke. 

 

"Alright then… just tell me what all you need from me and let's do this." 

 

Vergil hummed softly to himself at the statement before he wrapped an arm around Nero's shoulders and guided him over to the bed. 

 

"First things first, you'll have to wait until Dante and the rest aren't in the shop, we can't have them walking in and spoiling everything…" Vergil explained as they made their way to the bed and sat down. He explained what his plans for the escape process would be, going slowly to make sure that Nero understood everything down to the very last detail. 

 

"I can't wait to see you on the outside, you know, for real…" Nero said, obviously embarrassed at his own remarks. Vergil smirked slightly and placed his hand on Nero's leg with a nod. 

 

"Neither can I. It will be… an occasion to remember, that much is for sure." The devil smiled at the hunter, conveying every bit the part of the excited lover that he could, receiving the same in return from Nero as the boy laughed and nodded back.

 

"Yeah… an occasion to remember."

 

It had been a couple of days since Nero had discovered the mirror, and Vergil was ready to tear his hair out in frustration. Did his brother and that  _ woman _ ever  **leave** ? He swore they must be rooted to the floor, and what was worse was that every time they  _ did _ go out, the annoying pair would drag Nero along with them, despite the boy's protests of being tired or busy or whatever other excuse he would try. It was like they knew he needed to be alone and were purposely going out of their way to interfere with that. But of course, Vergil knew that there was no way the duo could have a clue about what his plans were, it was impossible. He would just have to wait and be patient, as hard as that was by this point, but he had managed thus far, he could make it a bit longer.

 

Every time Nero would come back and the pair would butt heads, Vergil was forced to pretend like he didn't mean it. It was becoming quite tiresome to have to constantly coddle the boy and tell him how 'excited' he was, or how much he wanted to hold him and 'be with him forever' once he escaped. The lies were exhausting and the hopeful look on Nero's face every time he said it was enough to make the demon want to gag. Whenever Nero would get doubtful or upset, Vergil would have to cuddle him and tell him again how much he cared for the boy, how much he was tired of pretending like they were together happily while he was trapped inside of the teen. 

 

It wasn't all a complete lie; he  _ was  _ tired of pretending, just not in the way that Nero thought. Vergil just wanted to be free and to be done with all of this nonsense. He'd suffered far more than he thought he ever possibly deserved by being trapped here for so long, he wanted  _ out. _

 

Nero appeared during the afternoon for the fourth day in a row, which wasn't a big surprise to Vergil since it seemed like the teen was taking naps more often than not just to pass the time, and trying Vergil's patience all the while with the frequency of his visits. He knew why the boy was here, and decided to cut him off before the seed of doubt could take root in his mind. He was so close; he wasn't going to fail now, not for anything. 

 

"Vergil?" the boy asked as the demon crept up behind him silently. 

 

"I'm right here," he replied, ignoring Nero's scolding that followed about not scaring him that way. 

 

The devil circled the teen, watching him like he was a piece of meat. It clearly unsettled Nero, and Vergil was glad. He wanted his intentions known so that Nero would be distracted and hopefully give up on asking Vergil about what was on his mind. When Nero didn't back down and asked him what his plans with Dante were once he escaped, the demon sighed and paused, pretending to think it over for a bit. 

 

"I don't really know. I suppose that's all dependent on how he receives my return to the human realm," Vergil finally replied, shrugging lightly as he fixed his hair. 

 

' _ And then, no matter what, I'll make him pay,' _ the half devil thought to himself. 

 

Nero seemed satisfied enough with his answer, or at least, didn't press the issue any further, for which Vergil was thankful. Nero was far too curious for his own good, and the last thing the half devil needed was to seem suspicious right now.

 

Vergil decided that the teen still seemed far too inquisitive, and he could practically feel the awkwardness radiating from Nero. He couldn't have that. 

 

_ 'Awkwardness leads to uncertainty. Uncertainty leads to apprehension. Apprehension leads to doubt. Doubt leads to fear.'  _

 

Without warning the devil shoved Nero against the wall and pinned him there, ravishing his mouth hungrily as he ground his hips into Nero's. The boy seemed to take his cue immediately and clawed for Vergil's pants, but the demon snatched Nero's wrists up in his own hands and denied him the opportunity, instead forcing his body against the smaller male's more roughly, crushing him into the wall. Nero didn't seem to mind, and Vergil took his begging as permission to turn him around and press him back against the smooth surface of the wall. He easily pinned the boy's wrists with one hand as he worked the other around to the front of his body, groping him while Nero moaned and asked what he was doing. 

 

"Taking you," Vergil replied casually and then bit the teen's ear harshly to further his point. Vergil wasted no time in slipping his hand into Nero's pants and began to stroke his erection, smirking at the way Nero cried out his name.

 

Seconds later Vergil grew annoyed with the pants Nero was wearing and undid them, allowing them to fall to the floor around the boy's ankles, along with his boxers. He opened his own pants and yanked them down easily before forcing his bare skin against Nero without warning. The boy cried out and Vergil smirked a little more as he began to stroke the teen's length roughly. Vergil easily pulled Nero's legs apart once he released his grip on his wrists, and forced his own arousal in between Nero's legs. Vergil proceeded to thrust roughly against the young hunter's backside and between his legs, their erections scraping together pleasantly in the process to tease him. Nero begged the devil to stop teasing him and Vergil licked his lips, grunting in reply before he suddenly found himself alone. 

 

"…Well, that was… anticlimactic…" he muttered to himself as he realized Nero must have woken up suddenly. The devil sighed and pulled up his pants, deciding to read a book while he waited for more news from Nero, which hopefully wouldn't end in him feeling the need to plow the boy into the wall again, because really, once in a day was enough for him, even if he didn't get to finish properly.

 

The half devil had resolved to spend the rest of his day reading until Nero came back, but it seemed like his lucky streak was continuing. Vergil wasn't sure what had just happened to get Dante out of the shop, but he wasn't about to question it. Nero was on the move without his input, and the demon was sure that tonight was the night that he would escape. He paced around anxiously as time seemed to drag on, and Vergil was certain that he would wear a hole into the floor at this rate. 

 

"What's taking so long…" he murmured to himself as Nero worked. He knew everything had to be precise, but the wait was still agonizing. "This is it… Finally…" Vergil ran his hands through his hair for what must have been the hundredth time that evening, trying to keep his thoughts focused on the goal at hand and off of what might happen if Dante were to return home earlier. He could only hope that didn't happen, for things were certain not to end well if it did.

 

When Vergil felt Nero begin to summon his powers, the demon's eyes practically lit up with glee. 

 

"Goodbye, forever," he murmured to the empty room, his hands shaking a bit with the anticipation. 

 

Vergil closed his eyes and let his power be drained as Nero gathered his own energy and summoned Yamato. It was usually just a temporary pseudo-freedom when he was called forth, but not this time. This time he would be staying out. Vergil could feel his own energy pulsing within the demonic blade, and he forced it under his control. The mirror was practically sucking him in and the demon followed its call, pouring through the blade easily in his ethereal state before filtering out on the other side. He felt strange in this state, but it wasn't any worse than when Nero devil triggered. 

 

The half devil wouldn't admit to himself that he was nervous, but there was a distinct feeling of relief as he felt himself taking on a more solid form after a few long, terse moments. Yamato's weight had never felt better in his hand, even if he was just holding the tip of the blade, and Vergil sighed in relief. 

 

' _ I'm nearly there.' _

 

Vergil ignored Nero's shouts of excitement as he took the time to examine himself. Everything seemed to be in its rightful place, nothing was askew or broken, and if Nero's face was anything to judge by, he must have looked just fine. The boy seemed excited to see him as he reached for the glass, and Vergil immediately growled at him. 

 

"DON'T TOUCH IT!" he shouted, scaring the hunter's hand away before it touched the surface of the glass. Nero had that familiar kicked puppy look on his face again, and before he could protest or whine, Vergil cut him off. "Do you  _ want _ to be pulled in? Don't touch it. Pull the sword out," he commanded and tightened his grip on the blade, ignoring the blood that began to drip from his hands. 

 

Nero nodded and followed his instructions as Vergil ground his teeth together, bracing himself for the hell he was about to experience.

 

It felt like being torn in half. Vergil could barely breathe, but they were slowly making progress. 

 

"Come on!" the devil growled as Nero managed to get him half way out. The mirror seemed determined to keep him, and Vergil was certain his legs would be torn off in the progress if they didn't hurry this up. 

 

He didn't know where Nero got the sudden burst of strength, but Vergil felt the suction on his lower half suddenly give way and he toppled out onto the smaller male as both landed on the floor. The broken glass that sprayed them didn't faze the demon, and he quickly pulled himself to his feet when he felt curious blue eyes burning a hole in his face. Vergil accepted the pants from the flustered boy and pulled them on before Nero had a nosebleed, or worse. He cracked his neck and flexed his arms, taking in the feeling of actually being  _ outside _ in the  **real** world again. It felt better than he remembered, that was for sure, and if he had been alone, Vergil might have kissed the ground in relief.

 

"It worked… you're really here…" Nero's quiet voice cut into Vergil's inner musings. "Vergil…? Are you okay?" the teen asked, and the demon couldn't stop the devilish smirk that crept across his features. 

 

The storm outside seemed perfectly suited to the moment as Vergil turned slowly, his cool, calculating blue eyes meeting the bright pair in front of him as he faced the hunter. 

 

"Never better." 

 

Vergil smiled darkly at Nero as he bent down to pick up the sword that had been dropped in the struggle to pull him free. He caressed the blade slowly, lovingly, and turned it over in his hands. It was still as flawless as ever, despite having been in the clutches of a hooligan child for so long. But it didn't matter now. He was back, Yamato was in his possession once more, and he had business to attend to.


	13. Betrayal

Nero felt like he couldn't think clearly as he watched Vergil pick up Yamato. The man was  _ here _ , right in front of him! It was almost too much to believe, and his mind was racing as the emotions overwhelmed him. The teen thought his heart my leap out of his chest. 

 

He wanted to reach out and touch Vergil, to make sure he was really there, but despite their closeness over the past few months he was still apprehensive. He didn't even know what it was, after all, he'd been  _ intimate _ with this man, but Vergil just gave off that aura that warned that he was dangerous. Nero tried to ignore it, certain that his mind was just overreacting from shock, and tried to gather his courage.

 

Vergil seemed completely absorbed in Yamato, and as hesitant as he was to break the man's concentration, Nero knew he needed to say something. 

 

"Vergil… " he started as he reached out to place his hand on the man's arm. 

 

The devil before him finally glanced back up at Nero, one eyebrow raised in question as if to ask why he was disturbing him. Nero bit his lip and pressed on, undeterred by the man's suddenly distant mannerisms.

 

"I'm so glad you're finally here for real," the young hunter said, unable to help the smile that broke onto his face as he became a bit bolder and hugged the older man. Nero felt his heart nearly leap into his throat when Vergil returned the hug with his free arm and then patted his back lightly. 

 

"As am I…" the half devil replied, and Nero couldn't help the shudder that came from hearing that voice. He'd done these sorts of things and heard Vergil speak plenty of times before, but here, out in the real world, it was completely different. The sensations seemed magnified and Nero could barely contain his excitement from it all.

 

A small noise of disappointment escaped Nero's lips as Vergil extracted himself from his grip and stepped away. 

 

"You did well," Vergil said, focusing his intense gaze on the boy. 

 

Nero's breath hitched slightly and he smiled a bit more at him as he was praised. He'd never felt this way before, no one had ever really been pleased with him like this, let alone someone he  _ cared about _ , and it left the hunter feeling like he could literally explode with happiness. 

 

"Thanks… I'm just glad it worked," Nero finally managed to reply, earning a thin smile from Vergil in return. The man's behavior still seemed somewhat 'off' to Nero, considering the current situation, but he figured that Vergil was maybe just overwhelmed at the moment. 

 

Nero still felt like he needed to pinch himself to believe it was real. The teen felt much the same as before, if not a little warmer than he normally tended to be, but he supposed he would get used to not having that familiar cooling sensation in his arm that he'd gotten so used to. The strange 'tug' on his powers seemed to have vanished as well, and he tried not to feel disappointed about it as he told himself again that Vergil was  _ here _ in the real world with him and it was stupid to be disappointed at all.

 

Brushing his apprehension aside, Nero approached Vergil again and reached for his hand, grasping it lightly because he just felt like touching the man again and making sure he was really there. The teen wasn't prepared to have Vergil's hand wrenched away so suddenly though, and he stared up at the older male with wide eyes. 

 

"Vergil, I—" he started, only to be cut off when he saw the dark gaze being leveled at him. 

 

"Enough," the devil said firmly, and Nero wasn't sure he'd heard right. 

 

"What… what are you talking about?" he asked, only to receive a sneer from Vergil. 

 

"You did well, as I told you, and now your job is done," Vergil explained coldly. 

 

Nero felt like he couldn't breathe again, but this time it was for an entirely different reason. He had to be hearing this wrong, this just couldn't be happening, not again! 

 

"Vergil, please! What are you talking about, you said—" Nero's words were interrupted again by a loud snort from the half devil, and he nearly fell to his knees from the sharp pain that shot through his chest.

 

Nero felt like he was dying; he couldn't seem to get enough air and there was a loud ringing in his ears. All he could see was the cruel smirk that was now on the face of the man whom he'd cared about, struggled to help, and shared his most intimate moments with, and it left him feeling nauseous and weak. 

 

"You can't…." he murmured, clutching his chest in an effort to try to control the sickening ache that had formed there. 

 

"Get over it. You were the most convenient option, and you've served your purpose," Vergil said flatly and Nero felt something else inside of him break. 

 

"You bastard!" he shouted, ignoring the dampness now staining his cheeks. "You said you loved me! That you wanted to be with me!" Nero snarled as he glared accusingly at Vergil who seemed completely unfazed. "I did  _ everything _ for you!" Nero continued, tears streaming down his face as he felt his entire world crumbling around him once again. He couldn't believe this was happening; he'd finally thought he'd found someone he could trust, someone that cared about him even a  _ little _ , and it all turned out to be a lie. Once again he was being thrown to the curb and there was nothing he could do about it. Well not this time; this time, someone had to pay.

 

The young devil hunter lunged at Vergil, blinded by rage and betrayal as he attacked the half devil. Vergil merely snorted and, faster than his eyes could follow, made a quick horizontal slash with Yamato that sent Nero flying backwards into the wall. He hit with a dull thud and then sank to the floor as the wind was knocked out of him and he was left disoriented. 

 

"The only reason you're alive is because I used the flat of the blade," Vergil cruelly informed him. 

 

All Nero could do was glare up at the traitorous bastard as he struggled to pull himself to his knees and catch his breath. The teen coughed violently as he stood on wobbly legs and braced himself against the wall. 

 

"You bastard," he grit out, narrowing his eyes hatefully. "You're not going to get away with this! I'll never forgive you!" Nero shouted, but Vergil didn't seem to care. 

 

"You never knew when to shut up," the older man snorted and raised his sword so that the tip of the blade was pressing lightly against the underside of Nero's throat. "Get over it," he repeated coldly.

 

Any further argument that Nero had was cut off the moment the door to the armory swung open and the light was snapped on. 

 

"There you are, kid, I was just looking for y-" a familiar voice called out, only to stop short as the situation became clear. 

 

"Dante!" Nero cried out as he spotted the older hunter and the sword currently at his throat was pulled away. 

 

"The hell is going on here?  _ Vergil? _ " Dante shouted in surprise as the scene before him sank in and he drew his guns. Lady and Trish appeared behind Dante, having heard the commotion and decided to check it out. More weapons were immediately drawn, and a heavy atmosphere settled over the room. The tension was nearly enough to choke on as four pairs of eyes focused on the eldest son of Sparda. 

 

"In the flesh," Vergil finally replied as an ominous smirk appeared on his face.

 

Nero felt helpless to do anything as he watched; he was unarmed and it felt like Vergil had cracked one of his ribs. 

 

"This is impossible; you were supposed to be dead!" Dante said, narrowing his eyes at his brother in a silent demand for answers. 

 

"You should know you can't be rid of me that easily… and as for the 'hows’ of my return, ask the brat," Vergil added with a nod in Nero's direction, his cruel smirk still in place. The elder twin's answer didn't seem to please Dante and the hunter fired a warning shot at Vergil which was easily deflected into the wall by Yamato. 

 

"Ah… as much as I'd love to stay for the family reunion,  _ dear brother _ , now really isn't the best time for me," Vergil hummed with a light shrug. Before any of them could react, the eldest son of Sparda disappeared in a flash of broken glass as he broke through the large window and vanished into the night.

 

All hell seemed to break loose in the room as Dante scrambled over to the window and glared out into the rain. 

 

"Trish, see if you can track him down!" he ordered before he wheeled around and snatched Nero up by his shirt collar. "What did you do?  _ What did you  _ **_do_ ** ?" the hunter demanded as he glared accusingly at Nero and twisted his shirt collar tightly in his grip.

 

"Dante, put him down, you're choking him!" Lady demanded as she and Trish hurried over. 

 

Nero could only stare wide eyed at Dante in shock. He'd never seen the man this way before, and it was strangely terrifying. Dante had never lashed out like this before, and Nero was suddenly more frightened of him than he ever had been of Vergil. 

 

Trish and Lady managed to pry Dante loose from Nero's shirt, for which the younger hunter was thankful as he sank back against the wall. If they hadn't been there he didn't know what Dante might have done. Dante still looked ready to skin him alive and only Trish moving over to the window and calling for him stopped the man from grabbing Nero again. 

 

"He's long gone, I'll never be able to find him in this storm," the blond woman explained, and Dante punched the wall in frustration, leaving a nice sized indenture in his wake. The man immediately turned his accusing glare back on Nero but this time Lady and Trish managed to grab him by the arms before he could grab Nero again.

 

"Tell me what happened!" Dante demanded. "How could you  _ help _ him?" 

 

Nero swallowed thickly as the gravity of the situation and what he'd done settled over him. 

 

"I…I… I didn't know…" he mumbled, unable to look Dante in the face. He had never imagined that letting Vergil out could be something so horrible that  _ Dante _ of all people would react this way. 

 

"You  _ didn't know _ ?" Dante practically hissed back and made to grab Nero again, only to be pulled back by the women.

 

"Dante, just give him a chance to explain, obviously it wasn't entirely his fault!" Trish snapped at her partner as she and Lady struggled to keep him still. It was obvious to Nero by the looks on their faces that even they hadn't seen the hunter react like this before. It only made Nero feel worse, and he pushed himself off of the wall with a small choking sound. 

 

"I'm sorry!" he said and ran out of the room, stumbling a bit as he made his escape. 

 

Nero knew he would be lucky if Dante ever spoke to him again after this, but he couldn't stay there and face him right now. He had lied to one of his only real friends, stayed in his house, taken advantage of his kindness, and in return had broken Dante's trust and unleashed something truly horrible into the world when he'd had every opportunity to stop it. It was obvious there was more than just a sibling rivalry there; Dante had seemed far too upset for it to be something so simple. It just made the teen feel worse as he realized how big of a mistake he'd made in trusting Vergil.

 

Nero snatched up his weapons from the front room before he staggered out of the shop and tried to ignore the shouts behind him. He silently thanked Lady and Trish for keeping Dante at bay, for the hunter surely wouldn't have let him leave so easily without some answers otherwise. The teen could hear snippets of the argument the three were having about the situation, but he did his best to tune it out as he practically fell into the street and dragged himself through the rain. Trish had said she couldn't locate Vergil in this storm, but Nero was certain he could feel the man's presence. You didn't live for so long with a demonic presence inside of you and then not be able to detect it once it was separated. Vergil may have been able to hide from them, but he probably didn't even realize he was practically shining a beacon for the youngest hunter.

 

Nero pursed his lips as he hurried down the street, doing his best to block out the pain as he went. He couldn't stop now; Nero wasn't lying when he said that Vergil wasn't going to get away with this. He had been the one to fall for the man's tricks and help him escape, and now Nero was determined to rectify the situation. Vergil had to be stopped, and Nero wouldn't be able to live with himself if someone he cared about got hurt because of him, even if those people hated him now. 

 

"I'm going to stop you!" he shouted into the night and managed to will his body to move a little faster so that he could at least jog towards that presence that could only be Vergil. Nero didn't care that he was injured and more than likely outmatched; he was going to do what he had to do, and that resolve was what pushed him to keep moving.

 

When it felt like his legs and lungs couldn't take it anymore, Nero found himself on the far edge of town outside of a dingy looking hotel. It seemed like the last place Vergil would ever stay, so that made it more likely that the man was hiding out here. He was certain he could feel the icy, demonic presence inside that was so different than the warm one that Dante gave off. 

 

The teen hurried into the building and ignored the strange look he got from the receptionist as he bypassed her and went for the stairs. Vergil had no money, and threatening would only alert the cops and then Dante, so he had to assume that the man had found his way into a room through some other means, but Vergil was definitely here, and he was going to find him and deal with him.

 

Nero hurried up the creaking stairs that ran between the floors as silently as he could, the only sounds being the squelching of his soaked shoes and his labored breathing. Vergil was a few floors up from what he could tell, but that's all he knew. The teen spent the next ten minutes silently creeping down the hallways of the second and then third floors until he was fairly certain he'd found the room he wanted. The third floor was eerily silent, not that he was surprised since this didn't look like a very popular place to stay, and he assumed that's why Vergil chose it. Only one room had a very faint light showing from under the door, so he took a deep breath and drew Blue Rose in one hand while the other gripped the doorknob. 

 

"…Okay…. Here goes," he whispered to psyche himself up before he slowly turned the knob and crept into the room. It was eerily quiet, but he was certain this was Vergil's room.

With Blue Rose carefully aimed in front of him, Nero cautiously proceeded into the hotel room. It seemed like Vergil had picked one of the better ones, for everything seemed neat and in order despite the dusty and run down exterior. He didn't care about that, however, and instead focused on trying to locate the devil inside the room. There were only a few places he could be hiding, those being the bathroom, the closet, and maybe under the bed. 

 

The bathroom seemed like a likely option, so Nero slowly and silently crept towards the partially opened door across the room. He thought that maybe he might catch the man off guard if Vergil hadn't noticed his presence just yet, and reached for the doorknob with his free hand. Nero pushed his apprehension away and snatched the door open, only to find the dark room empty. He cursed quietly under his breath as he checked the shower and found nothing still. If Vergil was here, then he was probably just toying with him before attacking.

 

Nero carefully moved out of the bathroom and decided to check the closet next. He was so certain that Vergil was here, but for all he knew he was just imagining things in his distraught state. Deciding there was no need to be as quiet after all the ruckus he'd just made Nero crossed the room and snatched the closet door open. Finding it empty as well, the young hunter turned with an exasperated sigh only to come face to face with Vergil. 

 

"Looking for something?" the man asked, a hint of amusement barely lacing his tone as he easily dodged a shot from Blue Rose and threw the teen to the floor. Nero groaned in pain as his gun was kicked from his hand, and just barely managed to shield himself with his sword from an oncoming slash of Yamato. 

 

"Get up," the devil demanded, and Nero glared as he complied, keeping his sword between them in a defensive stance. This was not how he'd hoped their meeting would go.

 

Silence settled over the pair as Nero glared at Vergil and Vergil glared right back, though his was less hate-filled and more annoyed. Nero had just begun to feel like he might snap from the tension in the room and was prepared to lash out to break it when a sudden flash knocked Red Queen from his hands. 

 

"Shit!" he cursed as his sword clattered to the floor and wide eyes took in Vergil before him, who seemingly hadn't moved. That was when he realized what a bad idea coming here had been. 

 

Vergil was clearly leagues above him, and it made the devil hunter's heart sink to realize that if Dante was even half as good as his brother then he had probably been taking it easy on him, so Nero stood no chance now. He had never even seen Vergil draw his blade, the only indication that anything had happened was the slightly rustling of the gold ribbon that hung from Yamato's sheath. Nero backed up a few steps only to be slammed back against the wall as Vergil's fingers closed around his throat. 

 

"You just never learn. You could have just walked away, but what… do you think you can play the hero now?" Vergil asked as his eyes narrowed slightly. Nero's eyes widened and he started to gasp as his air was cut off by the firm grip on his throat. He struggled and tried to pry the hand away, but Vergil seemed unfazed as he continued to glare daggers at Nero. "This is between me and Dante. You were just a pawn… albeit a useful one," he added, sneering slightly as his hand tightened around the teen's neck before continuing. "But now you've outlived your usefulness, and I think it's time to dispose of you."


	14. Confrontation

Nero had to wonder what had brought him to this point in his life. Had he really been so desperate for affection that he'd let himself be used and thrown away like this? Wasn't he stronger than this? Hadn't he saved Kyrie, albeit with some help from Dante, but still… And speaking of the older devil hunter, had he really just thrown away their friendship because he couldn't trust the man enough to tell him that his own  _ twin brother _ had somehow managed to possess him and make plans for his escape? 

 

Nero wanted to punch himself in the face for his foolishness, but it seemed like Vergil was doing a damned fine job of punishing him for it all by himself. Apparently that was all the thanks he was going to get for putting his safety and his personal relationships on the line and helping the man. The teen would have chalked it up to a lesson learned, but at this rate he didn't think he was going to  _ survive _ long enough for that to really matter.

 

Ever defiant until the end, Nero managed to gather his bearings enough to narrow his eyes at the half devil before him and used his left hand to pry Vergil's fingers away enough so that he could breathe a little, though the other man's grasp on his throat didn't make it easy. 

 

" If I'm the pawn…," he choked out, glaring at the demon, " then that makes you the  _ queen _ ," Nero spat, and without warning his Devil Bringer shot out and collided with Vergil's stomach and sent the man flying backwards into the wall. Vergil's body disappeared from view in a cloud of dust and flying plaster as the cheap surface gave away from the force allowing the demon to be blown clear through it. "Bet you didn't see that coming, bastard," the teen grumbled as he fell to the floor and tried to catch his breath. 

 

Nero didn't linger long and made a quick scramble for his sword in expectation of a fight. If he was going to die then he was going to do whatever he could to stop Vergil as well or at least slow the devil down so Dante and the others could take him on.

 

Nero was right to expect Vergil to come back at him, but what he  _ didn't  _ expect was the shower of spectral blades that launched at him from the direction of the hole left in the wall from Vergil's body colliding with it. The young hunter cursed under his breath as he dove back to the floor to use the bed as a shield and snatched Blue Rose from the floor in the process. He rolled to his feet and fired off several rounds in Vergil's direction even though he still saw no other sign of the demon just yet. 

 

As Nero tensed and prepared for another assault he could only hope that the hotel staff was smart enough not to call the cops, for they would probably just be killed if they showed up and tried to intervene. Another round of Summoned Swords, as he finally recognized the attack, was fired and Nero cursed as he was forced to dive out of the way once again. 

 

'At _ this rate there won't be anything left of the hotel room by the time the cops show up anyways. _ '

 

The teen picked himself up once the ethereal blades stopped flying and then braced for the oncoming assault. He knew Vergil was going to come at him, how could he not? All Nero could do was attempt to be ready and try not to get sliced in half. He still hadn't forgotten how the man had easily dispatched of him back at Dante's shop, and his ribs wouldn't let him forget it either. The seconds seemed to take hours as he watched the gaping hole in the wall for something to happen. Vergil was there; he may have been fast as hell compared to Nero but the hunter could still hone in on his demonic aura easily. 

 

"Show yourself, Vergil!" he demanded, his lack of patience finally getting the better of him. He was sick of this cat and mouse game. If he was going to die then he just wanted to get it over with because the wait was torturous, but he wasn't going without getting a hit or two in first, and he definitely wasn't giving up without trying.

 

An unsettling silence settled over the room, and for a few long, tense moments Nero didn't even allow himself to breathe as he strained his ears for any sound of movement from Vergil. He didn't dare to move from his position behind the mostly wrecked bed, it was the only source of cover should the devil attack him again, and the teen didn't think he could weather the deadly blades on his own. 

 

The only warning Nero received that something else was on the way was the faintest sound of something shifting and then he reacted purely on instinct as he raised his sword to block the attack that seemed to warp the very space around it. The hunter had no time to think as his sword parried the deadly blows directed at him, and he only vaguely registered the attack as something Vergil had once showed him as he struggled to block the strikes. Nero managed to avoid the brunt of it, but Vergil was far too fast for him and the teen found himself nearly sliced in half as he threw himself over the bed to escape the devil who had crossed the room at lightning speed in the wake of his initial attack. Nero wasn't sure if he'd ever even seen Dante move that fast, but he didn't have long to ponder that as the elder twin crossed the room again in an attempt to skewer him.

 

Nero did his best to fend Vergil off, looking for any opening he could to try and get in a hit, but between his own injuries and Vergil's unrelenting attacks it was all the teen could do to protect himself. He finally thought he had his opportunity when Vergil seemed to hesitate in his movements, and Nero raised his sword to take advantage of the opening. He was a split second too late, however, and found himself quickly changing directions with his attack to block the same deadly assault that the demon had come at him with initially. 

 

The small table next to the devil hunter was obliterated as Vergil's attack connected with it and Nero barely managed to avoid the same fate as the worst of it hit Red Queen and was deflected. He didn't escape uninjured though, and before the wounds on his arms had even managed to register in his mind the teen was blown back off of his feet as the slim blade in Vergil's hand connected with his own sword with enough force to move a truck. Nero hit the floor hard and the breath was knocked out of him as his vision flickered slightly from all the abuse. He was a wreck and he knew it, but he refused to show fear now. Even if Vergil was going to kill him, he wouldn't give the sick bastard the pleasure of having him beg.

 

The room was silent again with the exception of slow, even footsteps that moved in Nero's direction. The teen was dizzy and felt like he might throw up, but he still managed to glare as the steps halted next to him and he found himself being hauled to his feet by the collar of his shirt. 

 

"You shouldn't have come here. Not if that's all you could do," the half devil reprimanded Nero with a dark scowl. 

 

"Just shut the hell up!" Nero hissed back. "Are you happy now? You got what you wanted, you selfish prick. I hope it was worth it," the younger male spat, and he couldn't stop the mixture of hurt and betrayal that crept into his eyes as he glared at Vergil. 

 

He hadn't meant to look so affected by the man, he wanted to remain his usual defiant and not-giving-a-shit self all the way to the end, but Nero just couldn't rein his emotions in this time. He thanked his lucky stars nonetheless that at least he wasn't crying. It wouldn't have mattered much if he cried or not in the end, it probably would have just made Vergil want to kill him more, but after everything Nero was determined to keep  _ some _ shred of dignity. He'd given everything to this man, even if it was all just in his head, but he wasn't going to give him  _ that _ .

 

An uncomfortable silence filled the air again, only broken by the harsh breaths that Nero managed to draw in as he glared at Vergil with every ounce of hatred he could muster. Now as he was forced to stand here and the adrenaline began to slow the teen could feel the pain of every hit he'd taken in full force. 

 

"It didn't have to be this way, this was your decision, so just remember that," Nero murmured, and with the last bit of strength he had left he lashed out at Vergil as hard as he could with his Devil Bringer. The half devil seemed to have learned from his mistake the last time and he threw Nero into the remains of a nearby chair before he twisted out of the way to avoid the direct hit he would have taken. 

 

Nero grunted as he fell and attempted to scramble to his feet, but Vergil was on him in a second. The demon grabbed him by the back of his jacket and slammed the smaller male into the wall leaving behind a deep crack where Nero hit his head against it and then he staggered back before falling onto his knees. Vergil didn't seem to be done just yet, and grabbed the teen by the scruff of his neck before he could move and tossed Nero like a rag doll over the nearly shredded mattress where he tumbled to the floor with a weak cry of pain.

 

Nero could barely tell which was up and which was down when Vergil hauled him to his feet once more by his forearm and backhanded him roughly across the face and then hit him in the stomach to send the young hunter to the floor again on his back. He was briefly aware that he was coughing up blood as the other man towered over him and glared down at Nero with what the teen could only assume was the utmost contempt. If he hadn't been so disoriented the teen might have enjoyed the fact that he'd pissed Vergil off enough to make the man get physical like this, but as it was Nero was already seeing black splotches across his vision and try as he might, he just couldn't seem to even muster the energy to sit upright. 

 

He was weak and his consciousness was fading, but Nero managed to roll over onto his stomach and started to crawl away with the intent to put some distance between himself and Vergil. He was certain he could still fight if he could just  _ get to his feet _ , and surprisingly Vergil's footsteps began to move away from him. Nero didn't pause to question it and dragged himself on his hands and knees in the direction he remembered dropping Blue Rose in.

 

Any notion Nero had of fighting back was squashed moments later when the footsteps approached once again and his entire world exploded in pain as a bare foot collided with his back like a sledgehammer. The hunter gasped out loud in pain and instantly collapsed onto his stomach again as everything started to go black and another mouthful of blood was coughed up. 

 

Nero barely heard the "Foolishness…" muttered at his expense as he watched the devil walk towards the door with Yamato in hand and his vision began to fade completely. 

 

"Stop…" the teen groaned out as he weakly reached in the other man's direction, but Vergil ignored him and walked out of the decimated hotel room. Nero felt his eyes closing against his will as Vergil disappeared from sight and the teen fell into unconsciousness.

 

There was no way for Nero to know how long he'd been unconscious for when he awoke, but the teen was vaguely aware that the storm outside had stopped and his clothes were much drier than before, meaning it had at least been a few hours since he had passed out. He gritted his teeth together as he forced his body up and onto his knees and then groped for the nearest piece of wrecked furniture to pull himself to a standing position. 

 

The hunter felt like his entire body had been thrown into a blender, but the worst of it was already looking better than when he'd passed out. Nero didn't feel the distinct sensation of nausea and dizziness anymore, so he figured he would be alright considering he was still alive right now. He didn't know why Vergil didn't just slit his throat and be done with it, but he pushed the thought aside to focus less on the  _ why _ s about Vergil and more on the  _ where _ . The devil had left him there, obviously headed somewhere important, and the teen was pretty sure he could guess just where the man had left to go to. After all, he didn't have much else to worry about that Nero knew of.

 

Nero hissed lightly as he staggered to his weapons and gathered them up and then glanced out the window. The hotel was quiet now and Nero noticed that according to the dingy clock radio on the floor that it was a little after midnight, which meant that he'd been out cold for a couple of hours. 

 

"Damn it!" he swore loudly and hobbled out of the battered hotel room. He wasn't exactly sure where Vergil was, since the faint feeling he got from the man's presence wasn't really in the vicinity of Dante's shop, but he headed to the devil hunter's place anyways to warn him. 

 

Nero was in no condition to fight, that much he knew, and it would be better to at least try and make up for all of the trouble he had caused while he still could. With that thought in mind the teen pushed his body to move and hurried out of the hotel, ignoring the petrified girl at the front desk as he made his way back onto the street, thankful that she didn't call the cops.

 

The trip seemed to take forever, and Nero couldn't help but to notice as he traveled that Vergil's aura never seemed to grow any stronger, which meant he must either have figured out a way to hide it or he wasn't nearby. The hunter thought it was strange, since he'd thought for sure that Vergil would come to Dante's shop, but he just shook his head as he shoved the door open and trudged inside. Before Nero could get a word out, strong hands grasped him by the shoulders and shoved him down into a sitting position on the couch. 

 

"Got him!" Trish yelled as she stood in front of the teen to make sure he didn't try to leave. Dante and Lady hurried into the room seconds later, and Nero noticed that it looked like they'd all been out in the rain most of the night since all three of them still had damp hair and clothes. 

 

The youngest hunter gulped down the nervous feeling that was starting to rise in his throat and faced them all with a straight face. He knew they wanted answers, and Nero supposed that he at least owed them that much.

 

Nero frowned slightly as he looked up to see the disappointed look on Dante's face. The man had never looked at him that way, and he knew it was entirely his own fault. 

 

"Dante… I didn't mean for this to happen, I just…. I made a mistake," Nero explained and fidgeted on the couch. 

 

"A mistake? Missing a shot is a mistake, kid, I don't even know what to call  _ this _ ," Dante snapped and the teen winced a bit. 

 

"Dante, let him explain," Trish scolded the older hunter lightly and Nero gave her a look that conveyed his thanks. He knew they were all probably feeling betrayed right now, and any allies he could get were appreciated at the moment. 

 

"He's been inside my head… I don't know how long exactly. I think since you gave me that sword," Nero continued and shook his head as if to clear it. "He would talk to me; tell me things… show me things… I swear, I didn't know this was what he was planning!" the younger hunter insisted as he gave Dante a pleading look for the man to believe him. "I just thought he would either avoid you or try to make up with you, I didn't know anything about this! I didn't know he was this bad…" the teen added and bit his lip as he looked down at the floor.

 

When Nero was done talking there was a loud scoff from Dante before Lady and Trish pulled the man away to the other side of the room and started whispering back and forth with him. Nero didn't even bother to try and listen, he knew what it was about, especially from the angry gestures Dante was making in his direction. The teen felt like a sack of bricks had been placed on him now that he was sitting and the adrenaline had worn off, and he didn't even have the energy to be upset or worried about what Dante and the others were going to do. He was so tired, in fact, that he didn't notice the dark presence approaching the shop until it was too late.

 

The front door of the shop slammed open as a bluish-black blur exploded in through the door. Nero jumped to his feet and just barely managed to catch Lady and keep her from face planting into the coffee table as the woman was forcibly shoved out of the way. Trish wasn't as lucky but the banged up recliner off to the side broke her fall for the most part. Nero let go of Lady when his eyes focused on the source of the commotion, which turned out to be Vergil who was currently trying to press his blade through Dante's throat. The devil hunter was holding him off with his own sword fairly well, but Nero could see the strain on Dante's face from the awkward position he was forced into after having been caught off guard. 

 

Vergil had apparently made a pit stop to find some clothes since the damp and dirty sweatpants had been replaced with a pair of black pants and a black shirt, black shoes, and a long deep blue coat that fell below his knees. 

 

"So good to see you again,  _ brother _ ," Vergil spat and pressed harder with Yamato. 

 

Nero watched Dante narrow his eyes and grit his teeth against the force as he tried to push back. 

 

"Yeah, you know how I love these heartwarming family reunions…" the red clad twin snorted and shoved extra hard, which was enough to force Vergil back a few steps so he could breathe.

By this point Lady and Trish both had their weapons pointed at Vergil, though they carefully kept out of Yamato's strike distance and let Dante handle it. Everyone, Nero included, knew how dangerous it could be to end up in the path of that sword, and no one wanted to make a careless mistake and end up skewered, not to mention that there was some unspoken tension in the air that said this was strictly a 'family matter' that they needed to settle amongst themselves. 

 

"Enough of this prattling on, it's time that I do what I should have done a long time ago," Vergil said as he struck again without hesitation. 

 

Nero held his breath as he watched Dante block blow after blow, amazed at the speed at which the twins fought. The teen felt like his heart stopped though when Vergil seemed to gain the upper hand and slashed out towards Dante's now exposed throat. 

 

"VERGIL, NO!" Nero shouted desperately as he watched in horror. Time seemed to slow for a few moments as Vergil's head turned in surprise to see the source of the shout and his blade faltered in its path. Dante, being equally as good of a fighter as his brother, took the split second lapse in Vergil's concentration to twist just out of the blade's reach and retaliated with his own strike that sent Vergil flying back onto the floor from the force of it.

 

A silent tension settled over the room so thickly when Vergil hit the floor that Nero swore he could have cut it with Red Queen. The eldest son of Sparda wasn’t the only one surprised by the turn of events; everyone, Nero included, stared at him in shock. Four pairs of eyes immediately snapped up to look at the teenaged hunter, and Nero had no idea what to say or do. He hadn't expected Vergil to react that way, and apparently neither had anyone else, especially Vergil. 

 

A loud growl broke the silence in the room and before anyone could stop him, Vergil jumped to his feet and bolted out of the door. Silence returned for a moment as Nero glanced around the room nervously and then stepped backwards toward the front door. 

 

"What the hell was that?" Lady demanded and all eyes returned from Vergil's fleeing form to settle on Nero again. 

 

"… I… I have to go," he blurted out as he turned and ran out after Vergil.

 

Nero ignored the shouts behind him for him to stop and chased after the fleeing half demon. He had no clue what the hell had just happened back there, but he was determined to get some answers this time.


	15. Culmination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> chapter warnings include:
> 
> dubious consent (at best) to sexual situations.  
> more being mean to Nero (sorry).

Nero ran like he'd never run before in his life. He slipped and stumbled in the rain slicked streets and his body screamed in protest, but still the young hunter pushed on. He had never been so confused before in his entire life, and if he was going to die tonight then he needed some answers. The teen knew it was foolish to run after the very man who had nearly killed him earlier, but he felt that if he didn't go right now then he would never find out the truth, and he had to know what had happened in Dante's shop.

 

The demon's trail was easy to track; Nero could feel him in the distance and he recognized the direction the other man was moving in. 

 

' _ He's going back to the hotel _ ,' the teen realized as he pressed on after him. It made sense, he supposed, since it was apparent that the staff there was smart enough to keep their mouths shut about whatever was going on. 

 

Nero knew that Vergil could handle any authorities that tried to come at him, but of course it was smarter to just avoid them as much as possible, even he knew that much. With the realization of where the half devil was going came a new burst of energy within the teen, and he forced his aching and damaged body onward to the hotel, reaching the dingy looking structure in near record time.

 

There was no hesitation as Nero burst in through the cracked front doors of the hotel and blew past the receptionist cowering behind the counter. He took the stairs two at a time and eventually reached the third floor where the familiar presence was lingering. The only difference this time was that Vergil seemed to have moved down to the next room over, which wasn't much of a surprise since the previous room had been nearly obliterated. The young hunter stalked towards the closed door that was practically leaking the devil's aura and drew Blue Rose automatically. If he died tonight then at least he knew he'd already explained himself to the only friends he had left, if he could even still call them that.

 

Nero paused only long enough to take a deep breath and twisted the doorknob open to enter the room, knowing that Vergil wouldn't have wasted his time with the lock. He stepped into the dilapidated hotel room and squinted around in the dim light from the small lamp in the corner. Apparently this was the room that Vergil had crashed through when Nero had caught him by surprise before, as evidenced by the hole in the wall to the side and the plaster littered all over the floor around it. The place was deadly quiet, and Nero felt like Vergil's aura was all around him blurring his senses so he couldn't pick up on the devil's exact location.

 

The silence was maddening, but it didn't last long. Nero was suddenly grabbed by the throat from behind and was forced to turn around as his back was slammed into the wall next to the open door. 

 

"Why did you come here?" Vergil asked with acid in his tone. 

 

Nero glared up at him as his heart thundered in his chest, but he wasn't backing down now, not after everything that had happened tonight and for the past few months.

 

"You stopped. Why did you stop?" Nero questioned back. "You were so close, and you blew your chance, tell me why," he demanded as he narrowed his eyes at the demon. Blue Rose was forgotten in his hand for the moment as he stared the devil down, waiting for his answers.

 

Vergil scoffed and shook his head as he raised Yamato and pressed the blade against the boy's throat. 

 

"You're more eager to die than I realized." 

 

If he had been a lesser man Nero might have flinched under the absolutely withering gaze he received from the older male, but he refused to back down now. It was easy for Nero to see that Vergil was avoiding the question, so he pressed a little harder.

 

"Quit dodging the questions and tell me  _ why _ !" he demanded, earning himself a growl from the devil. Nero gained a bit of confidence when his throat wasn't immediately slashed for that comment and gave a little snort. "You can't do it, can you?" he practically spat at Vergil. The cold blade of Yamato was pressed harder against his throat and Nero tried not to cry out as he felt the sting of the metal cutting into his skin. 

 

"You're a bastard, a  _ parasite _ , nothing else," the teen scoffed. "You should have just killed me when you first got out. Now look at you… Just go ahead and do it!" Nero growled in challenge at the older man. "I said to  _ do it _ already!"

 

Nero instantly regretted his words when he heard the vicious snarl erupt from the other man and Vergil's grip tightened on his throat while Yamato was pressed a little harder into his flesh. His regret melted into confusion however when several seconds ticked by and he wasn't left as a bloody mess on the floor. The teen held his breath as his own brilliant blue eyes locked with the icy pair in front of him and an uncomfortable silence settled over the room. Vergil seemed to be deeply considering something by the way that his jaw tightened in a manner that looked downright painful to Nero and how he was staring the young hunter down as if he could make him burst into flames by the sheer will of his thoughts alone.

 

Nero felt like his own sanity was unraveling the longer Vergil stared at him like that. It was almost terrifying to know that even Vergil didn't know what he was going to do; the man could snap at any moment. 

 

"Look, I don't know what you want from me, but I'm not about to let you lea—"

 

"Shut up," Vergil growled. "Why did you come here?" the half devil asked again, and Nero momentarily found himself without a response and feeling like he had cotton in his mouth. When he finally managed to swallow, the teen gave a small shrug and tried to answer him honestly instead of giving one of his usual snarky responses.

 

"Because. As much as I hate you… and despite how much I really want to kick your ass, and even with how shitty I feel about betraying  _ my only _ friends for  _ you _ … I need to know  _ why _ . Kill me if you want to, but at least tell me  _ why the hell _ you stopped back there!" the teen demanded with a pleading look underneath the fierce scowl he was giving the demon. It was the one thing he wanted to know more than anything else. 

 

Nero wasn't completely stupid, he'd just been naïve, so he already knew the answers as to  _ why _ Vergil had seduced him and then turned on him the moment he was free, and he even understood why Vergil would set out to attack Dante. The only thing he couldn't explain was why Vergil of all people would stop when  _ he _ told him to. Nero wasn't able to believe it was for the only reason that actually made  _ any _ sense to him; it was just too… out there, especially after what Vergil had done. But there was always a chance, and he desperately needed to know. Even if Vergil killed him after he told him, the teen could at least have that little bit of closure, since that was the likely outcome anyways.

 

The silence in the room ticked by maddening slowly as the youth stared at Vergil, searching the man's face for the answers he sought. Whatever response Nero was expecting was far different than what he actually got though. 

 

Before the teen could say anything else the hand on his throat slid around to snatch the hair on the back of his head and he was pulled forward harshly until his lips met the half devil's in a vicious, somewhat violent kiss. Nero gasped out loudly, which only gave the other man the opportunity to ravage his mouth mercilessly as strong fingers closed painfully tight around his white locks of hair and tugged. The teen's eyes were wide as he stared in shock over what was happening to him, and he tried to jerk away if only to catch his breath and ask Vergil what the  _ hell _ was going on.

 

"Vergil, what the hell?!" he panted as he finally broke free and stumbled back a step to bump into the wall behind him. 

 

Nero knew he was outright gaping at the other man, but he couldn't stop himself. He eyed the demon before him as if the man had lost his mind and tried to quell the hopeful feeling stirring inside of his chest, but it was too late for the teen if the flash of irritation and something else that Nero couldn't quite identify that passed over Vergil's face were any indicators. He couldn't help it though; as much as Nero wanted to hate Vergil, and even though he'd thought that almost all of those feelings were crushed the minute the icy devil betrayed him, Nero just couldn't control the way his heartbeat had sped up and the way his body still tingled even after just a kiss from the older man. It was wrong and it was probably sick, but Nero just _ couldn't _ help it.

 

"You're pathetic," Vergil spat at the teen, effectively snapping him out of his inner turmoil over his emotions. "What is it going to take for you to  _ understand _ ? Do I have to kill you? Or are you really so foolish as to still crave a monster's touch even after all of this?" the half devil asked as his eyes narrowed and his hand closed around Nero's throat again. "I should have just killed you the first time."

 

Nero coughed as his airway was constricted and he reached up to grip Vergil's wrist with his Devil Bringer. In the back of his mind he knew that even though he was weakened that he could probably summon enough energy to throw Vergil off of him, but the teen couldn't seem to get his mind to relay that action to his hand. He was too absorbed in the moment to think about anything else except himself and Vergil. 

 

" Vergil… do it. Quit talking about it and do it," the hunter snapped.

 

A long, terse silence settled over the pair as they locked gazes in a silent struggle, both with each other and themselves. It was Nero who finally broke it with a pathetic, snide little chuckle. 

 

"I knew it. You can't…" he muttered and shook his head slightly. "You call me pathetic, but you're the one lying to yourself… just admit it!" he growled out at the older male and yanked Vergil's hand from his throat. "Don't tell me you never felt anything, too," Nero insisted as he glared at Vergil with just as much force as the older man was sending back his way. "If you hadn't, you would have killed me right from the start." 

 

He could have been dead wrong for all he knew, but Nero knew that on some level he had to be right. Nothing that had happened up until this point made any sense otherwise. Everything Vergil did was cool and calculated, he wasn't really a man of impulse, and there was no way he would ever care about some stupid kid begging him to stop… unless somewhere, maybe deep down or maybe much closer to the surface than even Vergil realized, he actually gave a damn.

 

Nero's prodding made something snap inside of Vergil and the man snarled suddenly as he grabbed the teen by the collar and yanked him forward so their noses were practically touching. 

 

"Shut up," the devil hissed as he dragged Nero away from the wall and across the room. The teen struggled, suddenly finding himself very terrified by the man's unexpected actions and unsure of just what was happening. He wasn't being harmed… yet, and that was what scared him. 

 

The teen could only imagine what sorts of horrible things Vergil could do to him and no one would ever come and help him because they all knew how dangerous the devil with him was.

Without warning the young hunter was thrown onto the bed on his back so he had no other place to look but up at the venomous demon towering over him. 

 

"Vergil, I don't thin—"

"Shut. Up," the devil repeated, and wasted no time in capturing Nero's lips with his own. 

 

Any argument that the boy had was crushed immediately as the half breed snarled against his lips and began to tear at his clothing. Bright blue eyes could only stare back in utter bewilderment as the older man undressed him hastily and flung his belongings to the side with a feral snarl. Vergil had never looked quite so animalistic before, not even back at the shop during his confrontation with Dante. The expression on his face sent shivers down the teen's spine.

 

"Get… Get off of me!" Nero spat when he finally managed to tear his lips away, glaring hatefully at the man above him. Vergil seemed to completely disregard his protests though, and pinned him down roughly with his knees pressing onto Nero's arms so he could start removing his own clothes. 

 

"I'm serious, you bastard!" Nero snarled, though his cries of protest were silenced once more by Vergil's demanding kiss. The teen hissed and wriggled beneath him, managing to pull his right arm free so he could hit Vergil with the Devil Bringer, but his attack was halted as the older male snatched him by the wrist and wrenched his arm down to the pillows.

 

"Don't."

 

The command was spoken with such force that Nero paused involuntarily to stare up at his face. Damn Vergil and his weird power over him…, the devil hunter couldn't seem to look away, despite how furious he was. Vergil took the opportunity to kick his own shoes and clothes off before reclaiming his lips, a possessive snarl escaping him when Nero began to struggle again. Nero hissed darkly as he struggled against the powerful body atop him again, kicking and thrashing at Vergil like a wild animal as he fought against the devil's touches and his owned damned emotions.

 

The tides quickly changed as Nero felt a sudden pressure in between his legs, letting out a loud, deep moan when strong fingers curled around his flaccid length and began to stroke him. It felt so different when it was actually happening, nothing like in his dreams. Vergil's hand was warmer, rougher, and the teen's skin tingled like it was on fire everywhere the devil touched. Nero hated him, he really did, but he couldn't bring himself to stop him either. This was what he'd wanted, right, for Vergil to admit how he felt and return his affections? 

 

Nero clenched his eyes shut, unable to look at the intense expression in Vergil's eyes as the devil ravaged his mouth and teased his body. It was too unbelievable after everything that had happened and the voice inside of his head that was screaming at him that this was insane was too much to bear.

 

Nero hissed as he felt a small, sharp pain against his throat, hazily noticing that Vergil's lips had long since left his own and were nibbling on his neck. When had that happened? The teen was too lost in the moment to even register the shift in position, but he was quickly brought back to the present when the devil bit him harsher than necessary and then pulled away a bit. 

 

Vergil didn't speak, but he stared at Nero expectantly until the hunter realized what he was supposed to do and parted his legs a bit more, his face flushing with the sudden feeling of exposure. This was… far less romantic than in his mind, but it was probably better that way. His body already felt like it would burst at the seams at any moment if Vergil's hands kept touching him the way they were, and a small part of him inside was terrified that the devil would change his mind and leave again. Nero felt utterly pathetic, but he didn't want Vergil to leave. Not again. He would regret this later, he knew that much, but the hunter couldn't convince himself to care right now, not with the way the older man was touching him.

 

The teen carefully observed the other as Vergil shifted away and grabbed something small from the pile of discarded clothes on the floor, his heartbeat speeding up as he thought about what was about to happen. It had seemed so easy in his mind, but the thought of actually doing that with Vergil was pretty scary. Obviously the half demon didn't feel the same way, if the manner in which he returned and pinned Nero’s wrists with his free hand and shifted down to grind their hips together was any indicator. 

 

Nero grunted and closed his eyes for a moment, biting his lip to keep from crying out as the devil's hard length scraped against his, sending shocks of pleasure throughout him. His muscles tensed as he felt a slick, wet pressure circling at his entrance and Nero's bright blue eyes snapped open to look at the devil on top of him. Vergil's face was schooled into an expression of intense concentration, as if he was holding himself back while he teased Nero's body.

 

"Vergil… ah!" the younger male gasped as the finger was pushed into him without warning and he gripped the bed sheets tightly. Nero squirmed, panting heavily against the odd intrusion and from the inability to break free from the way the devil was pinning him down. He threw his head back as the digit was forced further inside, the weird sensation making him whimper slightly and scrunch his legs together. It was definitely far different than his dreams.

 

The half devil seemingly ignored his protests as he forced another finger inside, obviously not willing to be patient with Nero. The teen growled in pain, glaring at Vergil as a deep flush spread across his face when the other man used his free hand to wrench his legs further apart. The look on the devil's face chilled Nero to the core, and left him feeling like he was a small animal about to be devoured by the hungry devil as those fingers were forced harder in and out of his body. By this point Nero was shaking from the overwhelming sensations as the pain began to ebb, and he clawed desperately at the sheets as he whimpered. 

 

"S-Shit!" An indescribable shock of pleasure coursed through him at that moment, and he thought he faintly registered a pleased growl from the half devil.

 

All too soon the intruding fingers were ripped away, and Nero's lips were attacked once more by the half breed's. Another vicious snarl came from the older male as he forced his tongue inside of the teen's mouth and explored it entirely as he rolled his hips roughly against the boy's, leaving Nero squirming beneath him. 

 

"Hold onto me," he commanded as he broke their embrace and grasped his own length, pressing it hard against Nero's entrance. The youth's eyes widened as he shakily reached up and just barely grabbed onto Vergil's back before the devil pushed inside of him forcefully.

 

Nero felt like he was breaking in half, literally. His nails and claws dug deeply into the other's flesh as Vergil filled him completely in one hard, rough snapping of his hips. The teen cried out in pain as he clutched onto the half breed, drawing blood beneath his claws as he struggled to keep the tears from leaking out of the corners of his eyes. 

 

Holy hell, it  _ hurt _ . 

 

Vergil had obviously been a bit generous in his dreams, because this was nothing so pleasurable. Nero whimpered again, biting his lip deeply as his body shook and he clenched his eyes shut once more.

 

Vergil didn't say anything to him or even wait for Nero to speak as he pulled back a bit and then slammed his hips forward once more. There were no tender or delicate touches here; every motion was hard, rough, and purely animalistic as the devil claimed his body completely. Nero had never seen this side of Vergil before, and it both scared him and made his body quiver with excitement. Any other thoughts were forced from his mind as the demon slung Nero's legs over his shoulders and drove into him, hitting that spot once again that had the young hunter seeing stars and screaming in pleasure. All Nero could do was hold on for the ride.

 

The silence in the room was repeatedly broken by the low grunts of the half breed as he drove into Nero's body with tremendous force, the slapping of skin on skin, and the teen aged hunter's own desperate cries as he struggled to keep his grip on reality. Nero's head was swimming; his body had long gotten over the cruel treatment it was receiving in favor of arching and bucking in excitement to every thrust the older male was giving him. Unlike in his dreams, the youth's stamina wasn't nearly high enough to keep going like this, and soon he was whimpering and clawing into Vergil's back desperately. 

 

"Ver—Vergil! Ah, shit!" he groaned, twisting his body off of the mattress with a loud, high pitched mewl. "Please, n-nearly there!" Nero begged him, straining to get some friction on his neglected length and bring himself to orgasm as his body demanded. A flash of emotion passed over the elder devil's face as they locked eyes again, and Nero's breath caught in his throat from the sheer force it pulled over him. He'd never seen Vergil look quite like that before and he had no idea what it meant, but it sparked something inside of the teen.

 

Vergil gave the boy a low snarl in return and slid his hand in between them to grasp Nero's weeping erection. He bared his fangs at the teen and began to stroke him at a wild, erratic pace, not even bothering to try and sync it up with the motions of his hips as he took the younger hunter hard. 

 

The rough, calloused hand assaulting his sensitive flesh was the last straw for Nero, and moments later he let out a shriek that would have made Nevan proud as his back contorted violently up from the bed and he came hard against the elder devil's chest. The teen went limp in Vergil's arms moments later when the incredible wave of heat passed through his body and he suddenly had no more energy to move. 

 

Vergil didn't seem to be faring much better, if the strained expression he was sporting was any indication and he released the spent length in his hand to lift the teen's hips higher off of the bed for a deeper angle. Seconds later Nero gasped as the devil drove into his body one last time and latched his fangs into his throat, biting down hard enough to pierce the skin as something warm and sticky trickled out in between Nero's thighs.

 

Neither man said anything for several long moments, the only sounds now being their heavy panting as they stayed locked in position—Nero on his back with his legs dangling haphazardly over the older man's shoulders and Vergil on his knees with his hands hooked under the teen's thighs, his forehead resting on the pillow next to Nero's face. Another minute or so passed before the older male finally shifted on the bed and sat back on his haunches, regarding Nero with an unreadable expression. The teen stared back up at him, a delirious sort of look in his eyes as he struggled to catch his breath to actually speak again. 

 

"Verg… Vergil, I do—"

 

The half devil shook his head and raised his hand in a gesture for silence. 

 

"Go to sleep."

 

Nero stared at the other man for a long time, confusion and a slight tinge of hurt creeping onto his face at the harsh command. He didn't know what he was expecting, but for a brief moment there when Vergil had been claiming his body, the last thing he'd yet to actually  _ give _ to the man until now, the teen had thought he'd seen something there in his eyes. He didn't know what exactly… but something… something that had given him the slightest bit of hope that maybe he wasn't as big of an idiot as he thought he was. Nero shook the thought from his head though as he turned on his side, wincing with a small hiss of pain as his abused body shifted in the sheets to try and get comfortable. Some things were a lot less painful in his dreams.

 

Vergil seemed content to sit on the edge of the bed, his legs hanging off and his back to Nero as he did a fine job of ignoring the teen's presence altogether. The hunter huffed quietly and clutched the pillow to his nose, deciding not to give the man the satisfaction of seeing the disappointed and hurt look on his face. Bright blue eyes began to flutter shut as Nero felt the exhaustion start to take him over and the boy reluctantly closed his eyes, drifting off into a fitful sleep. He would have to deal with Vergil and what had just happened eventually… but not yet. Right now he just wanted to dream peacefully one more time before having to wake up and face the terrible reality that was waiting for him.

 

He was all alone once again.


	16. Weakness

Things were finally back to how they should be in Vergil's opinion. Yamato was in his grasp, he was in the real world, and things couldn't have been better unless Nero had been waiting with a brand new outfit for him. Not all things in life could be perfect, however, so the half devil would settle for the sweatpants for now.

 

Vergil's inner musings were interrupted by the almost shy touch to his forearm, and he quirked an eyebrow at Nero in question. Really, why was the brat still here?

 

"I'm so glad you're finally here for real," Nero spoke up and hugged him, and it took every ounce of willpower Vergil had not to roll his eyes. 

 

How  _ pathetic _ , the boy was worse than a toddler with a teddy bear. Vergil wasn't really the best with social interactions, so he settled for awkwardly returning the hug and patting the boy's back.

 

"As am I…" the devil spoke up, not missing the shiver that passed through the smaller frame against his body. "You did well," Vergil continued as he pulled away from Nero's hold and regarded him with his signature intensely cool gaze. The boy seemed happy, but Vergil really didn't care. He was pretty much done with the younger male and he definitely had more important things to worry about now that he was free.

 

"Thanks… I'm just glad it worked," the teen spoke up to him and grabbed his hand, holding it like some love sick puppy. Vergil didn't bother hiding the sneer this time as he yanked his arm away and glared at the brat.

 

"Enough."

 

When the boy seemed confused, Vergil scoffed lightly and shook his head. "You did well, as I told you, and now your job is done," he explained calmly, staring at Nero in an almost bored fashion.

 

Nero spoke up as he pleaded with the half devil, "Vergil, please! What are you talking about, you said—" only to have his argument broken by the loud snort from the older man. The whining had only just started, and Vergil was already done listening to it. 

 

"Get over it. You were the most convenient option, and you've served your purpose," he elaborated flatly. That comment seemed to unleash the floodgates as Nero began to lash out at him, screaming about how he betrayed him and going on about how much he'd done for Vergil. Who cared, really?

 

The attack from Nero was expected, and Vergil's lips curled slightly at the chance to show the boy his place. He made a quick slash with Yamato across Nero's chest, not even bothering to use the sharp edge of the blade as his hit connected with the other male and sent him flying back. The 'thunk' as Nero's body collided with the wall was strangely satisfying, it had been a while since he'd been able to do something like that in the real world, and the silence that it brought was a welcome change to Vergil's ears. 

 

"The only reason you're alive is because I used the flat of the blade."

 

Nero continued to wail about how the world was unfair and Vergil was horrible, or something like that—the devil wasn't particularly listening to him anymore. 

 

"You never knew when to shut up," the older man scoffed and raised his sword so that the tip of the blade was pressed lightly against the underside of Nero's throat. "Get over it," he repeated coldly.

 

Vergil decided that now was the opportune time to leave, though the door slamming open and the light being snapped on stalled him for the moment. Of course his brother would choose _ now _ of all times to show up. Not that it mattered, Vergil had no concerns when it came to Dante, and he lowered his sword with a bored expression as if to convey just that.

 

"The hell is going on here?  _ Vergil? _ " the younger twin gasped in surprise and drew his guns as the two annoying wenches he kept company with came rushing in. Did they really think they were a threat to him now?

 

"In the flesh," Vergil replied with a dark smirk curling over his features. 

 

Dante howled some nonsense at him about Vergil being dead and the elder devil snorted, shaking his head slightly.

 

"You should know you can't be rid of me that easily… and as for the 'how's' of my return, ask the brat," he added, nodding in Nero's direction. Dante didn't seem to appreciate his retort, however, and fired a shot in his direction. Vergil deflected the bullet easily into the wall with his blade and sighed.

 

"Ah… as much as I'd love to stay for the family reunion,  _ dear brother _ , now really isn't the best time for me," he continued and jumped out through the window. It was a bit dramatic, yes, but he always had a flair for that sort of thing when it came to showing up his brother, and now was no different.

 

Vergil ignored the sting of the glass as he burst through it and hit the ground running. He wasn't afraid, far from it in fact, but he knew when to pick and choose his battles and right now wasn't exactly the ideal time for a fight with Dante… but soon he would get his chance.

 

The storm outside was perfect to cover his escape; there was no way they'd be able to pick up his scent. Dante was always weaker at that sort of thing than Vergil was, Lady was human, so that left Trish as the only real tracker in this sort of weather, but Vergil wasn't concerned because if that woman tried anything he would gut her and string her up by her entrails—the personal wounds from her and Mundus still ran deep.

 

Vergil didn't have to travel for too long with his enhanced speed until he reached a rather decrepit looking hotel near the outskirts of town, which he was thankful for since his body was still in the process of recouping his demonic aura. The place reeked of unsatisfactory conditions, but it was far from Dante's shop and rather inconspicuous, so the devil decided it would do. He quickly scaled the side of the building and slipped in through a third story window into a darkened room that was seemingly unoccupied.

 

The half breed quickly checked out the room and then the rest of the rooms on the floor, finding the entire area to be empty of other people, which made this place perfect for now. Vergil quickly looked around for anything that could be of use after he returned to his chosen room, but the place was bare except for the sagging furniture and the Bible in the bedside table. The devil sighed and shrugged it off, deciding that he would plan out his next moves now that he was alone to think. One priority was getting some clothing that actually  _ fit _ ; he didn't really fancy wearing Nero's old clothes any longer than he had to. After that, if he was feeling up to it, the half breed planned to pay his brother a visit sooner rather than later to get rid of him once and for all; he was still slightly bitter about Dante showing up early and ruining the surprise.

 

Before Vergil could really start delving into things, the faintest sounds of footsteps and panting caught his attention. Icy blue eyes narrowed as the gait registered easily with him—he'd been listening to those footsteps for ages now, he could pick the brat out easily in this silence. 

 

"How adorable, he thinks he stands a chance," the devil murmured as he rolled his eyes and slunk into the shadows.

 

Vergil scaled the inside of the hotel room, bracing himself with his hands and feet in the upper corner above the door out of sight so he could watch Nero entering the room. The boy seemed on high alert, checking all the most obvious places that Vergil might hide. It was just too bad for the brat that he was too oblivious to realize he'd already walked right by his target.

 

The half devil finally got tired of watching after Nero checked only the most obvious places and got frustrated, so he dropped silently to the floor behind the boy, his lips curling up cruelly. 

 

"Looking for something?" he asked and ducked the bullets that flew out of Blue Rose at him before he grabbed the teen and slammed him to the floor mercilessly. Vergil didn't let him catch his breath though, and quickly came at Nero with his own sword. "Get up," he ordered.

 

The silence between them was thick, and before Nero got the bright idea to attack again Vergil decided to display the true difference in their abilities. Yamato was drawn skillfully and the devil lashed out with her, the sword clicking back into her sheath with a speed that even Nero wouldn't be able to follow. The clanging of metal and then the sight of Red Queen falling from the boy's hands was  _ beyond _ satisfying after so long. 

 

' _ I've still got it _ ,' he smirked inwardly.

 

Vergil crossed the space between them during Nero's moment of shock and curled his fingers tightly around the smaller male's throat with a dark glare. 

 

"You just never learn. You could have just walked away, but what… do you think you can play the hero now?" Vergil asked as his eyes narrowed slightly. Nero struggled with him but the devil was unrelenting in his hold.

 

"This is between me and Dante, you were just a pawn… albeit a useful one," Vergil continued, sneering slightly as his hand tightened around the teen's neck before continuing, "But now you've outlived your usefulness, and I think it's time to dispose of you." There was just something about the way that Nero's expression darkened when he was insulted and abused that set something alive in the half devil, and Vergil relished it every time.

 

"If I'm the pawn… then that makes you the  _ queen _ !" the boy bit back, and Vergil had to commend him on his tenacity. That thought didn't last long, however, as pain exploded in his stomach and Vergil found himself hurtling backwards. His body crashed into something solid, most likely the wall, and kept going in a cloud of dust and flying debris.

 

Vergil ground his teeth together once he landed in the room next door and picked himself up, his wounds already beginning to repair themselves. If Nero thought he was going to gloat in that small victory then he was wrong. The half breed let off a blast of Summoned Swords through the hole in the wall, not really caring if the spectral blades did much damage to the brat just yet—they were just a distraction, after all.

 

The bullets that easily missed Vergil let the devil know that the boy was blind to his position still and on the defensive, which was just how he liked him. Vergil braced himself, a sinister sort of grin creeping across his face as he gripped Yamato tightly and prepared for his next attack. It had been so long since he'd been able to do this, and the demon unleashed the Judgment Cut on Nero with more enthusiasm than he'd felt in years.

 

While Nero was distracted trying to fend off the warping sword slashes, Vergil teleported through the damaged wall and reappeared in front of him, slashing without mercy at the smaller male. The boy's defense was rather poor, despite all of the tactics Vergil himself had drilled into his head when they were still connected. It only aggravated the devil further, and he decided to end this quickly since the fun was beginning to wither.

 

Nero's look of hope when Vergil paused and switched his stance would have been amusing if the older man wasn't so focused on his attack. Another Judgment Cut was released at Nero, and the boy was surprisingly able to deflect the worst of it. Vergil didn't linger on that for long, however, and brought Yamato down against the garish sword in Nero's hands hard enough to send the boy sprawling to the floor. Vergil slowly crossed the room to where Nero lay and leaned down, hauling the boy to his feet by his collar. 

 

"You shouldn't have come here. Not if that's all you could do," he chided him, disappointed in the lack of fight Nero put up. Talk about a waste of his time.

 

"Just shut the hell up!" Nero snapped at him. "Are you happy now? You got what you wanted, you selfish prick. I hope it was worth it," the younger man continued, and Vergil didn't miss the pained look in his eyes. How pathetic, after all of this the boy still couldn't get over it already. And to think, Vergil was actually starting to give him a little credit.

 

The boy seemed to sag in his arms, that defiant light finally beginning to fade from his eyes. Vergil had to admit he was a little disappointed, he wanted a little more fight from the brat before he killed him.

 

"It didn't have to be this way, this was your decision, so just remember that," Nero spoke up again and made a weak attempt at another attack. Vergil wasn't going to fall for the same trick twice though and tossed the smaller male into the mostly destroyed chair as he forced his body out of the way of Nero's hit.

 

Nero seemed to think he was going to get away with that but Vergil pounced on him immediately and yanked the boy up by his jacket before he slammed him into the wall. The deep crack that formed in the plaster behind Nero's head was a satisfying sight to the half demon as he watched Nero crumple to his knees. Vergil wasn't done yet though, and snatched the young hunter up by the neck roughly. He scowled and tossed the boy over the shredded mattress where Nero ended up in a heap on the floor.

 

Vergil glowered as he stepped over the bed and dragged the boy to his feet with a low growl. He backhanded Nero across the face before he slammed the palm of his hand into the teenager's gut hard enough that Nero ended up on his back on the floor again.

 

The half devil watched as Nero struggled to crawl away, coughing blood all over the dingy carpet as he tried to escape. The sight only served to anger him further with how weak the boy was being, even though Vergil knew most anyone else would be dead by now. He grunted and quickly followed after him, stomping viciously on the other man's back with his bare foot.

 

"Foolishness," Vergil snorted as he smoothed back his bangs from his forehead and stalked out of the room, ignoring the weak cries for him to stop as he slunk out into the darkness. Now it was time to get some things done.

 

As Vergil passed the woman down at the reception desk, he let his icy gaze flicker over to observe her clutching the phone in mid-dial with a look of pure terror on her face. 

 

"Don't," he spoke up, his tone conveying the unspoken threat if she should attempt to contact anyone about what she'd just heard going on upstairs. The woman squeaked pathetically and put down the phone in favor of curling in on herself and sobbing behind the counter. The devil rolled his eyes at her weakness but he continued on, satisfied now that she knew her place and wouldn't be making things difficult for him anytime soon.

 

First things first, the half demon decided that new clothing was in order. It was rather late so most likely the shops were closed, but it didn't matter since he didn't have any money anyways. Vergil didn't care for the rules though and easily broke into the more upscale looking of the clothing stores he found in the shopping district with no concern over the silent alarm that was most likely already alerting the police. He quickly found some suitable garments and shoes and stole away into the night to find a secluded place to change into them and discard his ruined sweatpants before the authorities could arrive and trouble him.

 

As he skulked around in the darkness, Vergil was aware of his brother and those women he hung around perusing the city. They must have been looking for him, but he wasn't stupid enough to leave a trail for them to follow. No doubt by now one of them knew he was involved with the break-in downtown, after all, who else would break into a men's wear shop and only steal enough clothing for one person and nothing else? Vergil smartly kept himself hidden as he prepared for his next move, recharging the energy he'd expended fighting with the little brat back at the hotel and then teleporting around town.

 

When he felt ready again, Vergil took off into the night, quickly and silently making his way through the rain soaked streets. At least the downpour had stopped, though that took away his advantage of the weather covering his presence. It didn't matter though; Vergil didn't plan on leaving Dante alive enough to chase after him anyways.

 

The shop came into view quickly and Vergil charged forward, blowing through the door easily as he phased across the room towards his brother. Lady and Trish were both easily forced to the side, the devil deciding to deal with them later rather than waste this prime opportunity to dispose of Dante. They wouldn't pose much of a threat anyways without their 'fearless leader' around. Vergil  _ was _ a little surprised to see that Nero managed to drag himself there, but the stubborn little brat was no more harmful than a fly to him at the moment.

 

"So good to see you again,  _ brother _ ," Vergil spoke as he caught Dante unaware, his sword pressed tightly against his twin's neck to the point that blood was nearly being drawn. He grinned darkly and pushed with more force, determined to cut his brother down here and now. It was his fault that things had ended up this way, and Dante deserved nothing less than to be smeared across the floor.

 

"Yeah, you know how I love these heartwarming family reunions…" Dante replied to him and gave a rough shove, actually managing to force the elder devil back a few steps. It seemed like his twin had been improving his game while Vergil was gone… not that it mattered now, Vergil was  _ not _ going to lose again.

 

"Enough of this prattling on, it's time that I do what I should have done a long time ago," Vergil snapped and began his attack, sending blow and vicious blow at his brother. His strikes were relentless, but Dante managed to parry every one of them until he seemed to falter for just a moment. Vergil grinned like the devil he was and drew Yamato in an upward arc straight for his brother's now exposed jugular.

 

"VERGIL, NO!"

 

Vergil had no clue what happened; all he knew was that one moment he was watching Yamato's perfect curve towards Dante's throat and the next moment he found himself slamming into the hardwood floor as pain exploded in his chest. Everything around him seemed to freeze, no one was talking or moving and everyone was staring at him in shock. Vergil was completely lost as he briefly touched his chest to find that the hit had only been hard, it hadn't actually cut him, and then his gaze snapped up to Nero, along with the eyes of everyone else in the room.

 

The devil stared at the teenager in shock and outrage for a few moments before he finally growled out his frustration and leaped to his feet. Vergil was out the door and tearing down the streets before anyone could stop him. He had to get the hell out of here before he was killed, or worse,  _ captured _ .

 

Vergil didn't know why he was going back to the hotel, but his feet carried him there before he could really consider going anywhere else. He hurried through the lobby, noticing the woman was still there, hiding under the desk and probably fearing for her life. Luckily for her, this devil had bigger problems to deal with. Vergil made a detour to the second floor, heading for the rooms that he knew were occupied. It seemed like most of the guests had taken off after the fighting earlier, so he spent a couple of minutes raiding their belongings for anything he could use. Once his pockets were full, mostly with money and few unopened toiletries and other items the devil had found, he hurried back up the the third floor that he’d been lurking in earlier.

 

The demon made his way into the neighboring room from earlier that evening, stalking inside with a growl of frustration as he kicked off his now soaked shoes and socks and began to pace the room. He was supposed to be living it up already with his brother out of the way, but of course  _ once again _ his plans were ruined. Vergil had to wonder what the hell he'd done in a past life to deserve this sort of treatment over and over, pointedly ignoring the fact that he'd pretty much brought it on himself from past and recent events. All he cared about was getting revenge for the years in Hell, both literally  _ and _ figuratively, that had resulted from Dante's need to  _ meddle in everything that was important to him _ .

 

Vergil wasn't left alone to brood for very long though as Nero arrived at the hotel and made his way up to the room he was occupying. The devil quickly ducked into the closet near the door and waited to ambush the hunter when he entered the room. The brat just barged right in without any thought, and Vergil ground his teeth in irritation from his hiding spot. He should have just killed him in the first place.

 

The devil leaped out from the closet and grasped Nero by the throat as he shoved him against the wall and growled in his face threateningly. 

 

"Why did you come here?"

 

"You stopped. Why did you stop?" Nero shot back. "You were so close, and you blew your chance, tell me why," he demanded as he narrowed his eyes defiantly at the elder demon, which only served to irritate the half breed further. Who was he to burst in here and question him like this? 

 

Vergil scoffed quietly and shook his head as he raised Yamato and held the blade against Nero's throat. 

 

"You're more eager to die than I realized," he snapped, not liking the way the boy was staring at him. Something about that look in Nero's eyes was unsettling the half breed deep inside and he wanted it to stop.

 

"Quit dodging the questions and tell me  _ why _ !" Nero yelled at him, and Vergil growled in annoyance and anger. "You can't do it, can you?" the brat continued, and Vergil pushed Yamato into his flesh with more force in warning. "You're a bastard, a  _ parasite _ , nothing else," the teen continued to egg him on. "You should have just killed me when you first got out. Now look at you… Just go ahead and do it!" Nero growled at him. "I said to  _ do it _ already!"

 

Vergil snarled in response to the teen and dug his fingers in tightly around Nero's throat as the hand that held Yamato shook slightly with rage. He wanted to just slice the little mongrel's neck, but his arms seemed to refuse his commands. What was  _ wrong _ with him? Vergil couldn't act on the urge to just  _ kill _ Nero, and he was starting to get a little freaked out. 

 

' _ Just do it! Kill him now, you idiot! _ ' he mentally cursed himself as they stared each other down.

 

"Look, I don't know what you want from me, but I'm not about to let you lea—" the teen began, but Vergil quickly growled for him to be silent. He couldn't even  **think** when this boy was talking now.

 

"Shut up," he snapped and shook his head. "Why did you come here?" Vergil continued as he leveled the boy with his infamous glare. The half breed was about to strike the brat and demand he answer him as the silence that followed stretched on between them when Nero finally gave a small shrug and spoke up.

 

"Because. As much as I hate you… and despite how much I really want to kick your ass, and even with how shitty I feel about betraying  _ my only _ friends for  _ you _ … I need to know  _ why _ . Kill me if you want to, but at least tell me  _ why the hell _ you stopped back there!" Nero demanded, sounding rather pitiful and desperate despite the strong front Vergil could see him trying to hold onto.

 

The problem for Vergil happened to lay in the fact that he had no idea how to answer that, and worse yet, why he was standing here taking this from Nero in the first place. He had no reason to listen or do anything Nero asked, so why was he even considering it. The only solution Vergil could think of to this problem was to follow his instincts, and so he did.

 

Vergil had no idea when it happened or even what had happened, but somewhere during the time he was staring into Nero's eyes as the boy waited for his answers something had snapped inside of him. Before he could stop himself, Vergil's lips were on the younger man's, claiming him rather savagely as Nero gasped in surprise. Strong, calloused fingers intertwined themselves into Nero's hair and held the boy in place as the elder male snaked his tongue inside the hunter's mouth and thoroughly explored every inch of it that he could reach.

The teen eventually managed to wrench himself free of Vergil's hold, much to the devil's annoyance, and glared at him in a mixture of utter confusion and frustration.

 

"Vergil, what the hell?!" Nero demanded, looking thoroughly ravaged with his hair all tousled and his lips a dark red. Vergil couldn't help but to stare at him, despite his hammering heart and the logical half of his mind that screamed at him to stop this nonsense and just kill the boy.

 

"You're pathetic," Vergil finally spoke up as he attempted to gather himself. That was far too reckless for his liking and he needed to get this under control. "What is it going to take for you to  _ understand _ ? Do I have to kill you? Or are you really so foolish as to still crave a monster's touch even after all of this?" he asked as his eyes narrowed and his hand closed around Nero's throat once more. "I should have just killed you the first time," Vergil snapped and squeezed his hand tighter, trying to convince himself probably more than he was Nero.

 

" Vergil… do it. Quit talking about it and do it," the hunter choked out to him as Vergil glared. They stared at each other for a long while until Nero finally gave a derisive little laugh and shook his head, frustrating the devil even more. "I knew it. You can't…" he murmured. "You call me pathetic, but you're the one lying to yourself… just admit it!" the teen growled out at Vergil and yanked the half demon's hand from his throat. "Don't tell me you never felt anything, too," he insisted stubbornly. "If you hadn't, you would have killed me right from the start," Nero pointed out, and it Vergil felt like someone had punched him in the stomach and taken his breath away.

 

The older man snarled deeply as he grabbed the Nero by the collar and yanked him forward so their noses were practically touching. 

 

"Shut up," he ordered as he dragged the teen across the room and tossed him unceremoniously onto the bed.

 

"Vergil, I don't thin—" Nero began, but was silenced by another command from Vergil.

 

"Shut. Up," the demon said again and snagged Nero's lips with his own as he let loose a rather animalistic snarl. Vergil ignored the bewildered look on Nero's face as he clawed at the boy's clothing and quickly worked it free from the lithe body. He tossed the unneeded garments off to the side and turned his attention back to the teen squirming so stubbornly beneath him.

 

"Get… Get off of me!" Nero cried out, but Vergil ignored him in favor of pinning down the younger man's arms on the dilapidated bed. "I'm serious, you bastard!" the teenager continued but Vergil quickly crushed their lips together to quiet him down. Nero didn't seem to like that very much and managed to get his hand loose for a swing with that demonic arm of his, but Vergil caught him by the wrist before it could connect.

 

"Don't," he spoke firmly as his icy blue eyes bore into Nero's, and the other man seemed to finally listen to him, much to Vergil's satisfaction. The half breed used the opportunity of the momentary submission from Nero to quickly kick off his own pants and boxers, not bothering to remove his shirt for now beyond ripping it open and sending the buttons flying. He was atop Nero again immediately, nipping lightly at the boy's lower lip as he toyed with him and let out a low, possessive growl when Nero struggled against him. 

 

Vergil wasn't so pathetic as to force himself on someone who refused him, but despite Nero's protests he could see the look on the teenager's face that told a completely different story than his words were at the moment. It would only take a tiny bit of persuasion, he was certain. Vergil knew he was right when his hand snaked down between Nero's thighs and grasped his length, earning a shameless moan in response. Nero always did have the best reactions when they were together.

 

The devil ignored his own apprehension and demands from his common sense to stop this and instead focused on the primal feeling creeping up through his very core as he worked his hand along the warm, sensitive flesh in his grip. His lips traveled from the chapped pair of the younger man and instead crept along his flesh to the juncture of Nero's neck where he began to nibble and suck on the tan skin teasingly. Nero seemed completely caught up in the moment and Vergil took that opportunity to dig his fangs into the sweet column of flesh presented to him with another possessive growl. That mark would be visible for a while, even with Nero's healing abilities, and the more demonic side of Vergil relished that thought.

 

Things were going too slow though for Vergil's liking now that he'd gotten started, so the devil quickly pulled away from Nero's lips and gave him a pointed look. Nero should at least remember enough about all of their couplings in his mind to know he'd better comply or risk being rather uncomfortable later. Luckily for the brat, Vergil had found something very useful while he was poking around in the hotel rooms downstairs.

 

Vergil smirked just slightly as he found the small bottle of lube in his pants pocket, glad that he’d thought to bring it with him when he’d found it. He squeezed a bunch of the cool liquid into his hand and tossed the bottle back on the floor, rubbing his fingers together to coat them quickly. To encourage Nero to relax and to distract him a bit from what was coming, Vergil carefully pinned both of the boy's wrists down on the bed above his head with his other hand, keeping them safely out of his way before he began to roll his hips rather vigorously against the smaller body beneath him. 

 

The flushed skin beneath him was enough to draw a dark growl from the demon and he slid his hand down, carefully probing at Nero's entrance as he watched the teen's reactions. Vergil stared intensely at the squirming man below him, watching every flicker of emotion that passed over Nero's face as his finger entered his body without any further warning. The very sight alone made his eyes darken and his fangs lengthen just slightly, a far more primal and demonic response than he'd ever allowed the boy to see in his dreams.

 

Vergil didn't bother taking his time with Nero, instinct forcing him forward before they both snapped. From the flushed glare on the boy's face he could tell that Nero wasn't too thrilled as his body was stretched impatiently and then his legs were yanked open wide, but Vergil wasn't too concerned. It wasn't like Nero was in any position to argue anyways, and he would make it up to him very soon.

 

Nero gasped out in pleasure when Vergil's fingers finally found what they were looking for inside of him, and the older man gave a small but pleased growl before he yanked his digits free from the confines of the tight body and captured Nero's lips once again. Vergil shrugged off his now ruined shirt and scraped their bodies together again with a louder snarl of pleasure and finally sat up, leveling Nero with a much more heated gaze.

 

"Hold onto me," Vergil instructed the younger male as he positioned himself against Nero's body and plunged inside only a moment later. 

 

It felt like razors were digging into his back as Nero clawed at him and screamed in pain, looking as if he might cry. The teen continued to whimper but Vergil didn't give him any more chance to protest as he rocked back and then quickly and harshly snapped his hips forward into the boy's body again. He knew it was rather cruel, but Vergil wasn't going to torture him for long.

 

Once the devil found it a little easier to slide into the tense body beneath him, Vergil slung the teenager's long, slender legs over his shoulders and drove into him deeply. That seemed to be just what Nero needed as the younger man screamed again, though this time it was purely pleasure. The sound brought a smirk to the elder devil's lips as he forced those cries from Nero's mouth over and over again. He gripped the younger's thighs tightly to keep Nero from slamming into the headboard with every motion, smirking just slightly at the shameless teen below him mewling in ecstasy.

 

"Ver—Vergil! Ah, shit!" Nero cried out desperately as he twisted off of the mattress, pleading with Vergil. "Please, n-nearly there!" he begged, and the devil felt a surge of something deep inside of himself in response. 

 

They locked gazes once again and Vergil snarled as he quickly reached down and grasped the younger man's neglected erection. His fangs were bared in response to Nero's begging and writhing and the half devil resumed stroking him roughly, enjoying the responses he was getting from the smaller body as he took him hard.

 

Vergil only grunted as Nero shrieked like a banshee and released himself rather forcefully all over the demon's chest and stomach without much warning a minute or so later. The now tightening body around his own length was almost suffocating in the best sort of way, and Vergil strained to slam himself into the pliant body even harder. He gave another low growl and grasped the underside of Nero's thighs tighter, lifting him high off of the mattress so he could plunge deeper and harder inside.

 

The devil didn't last much longer before the heat in his belly grew unbearable and he felt himself reaching the edge. Vergil growled again and sank his fangs deeply into Nero's throat once more as he buried himself deeply inside of the smaller body when his orgasm hit him, the sensation powerful enough to nearly take the breath from him. The half breed lazily rocked his hips a few more times inside of the other when he could finally see past the white in his vision until he finally felt completely sated and pulled back just enough to let his face rest into the pillow next to Nero's.

 

Vergil took the opportunity to catch his breath for a moment before he finally moved and sat up, allowing Nero's legs to slip from his shoulders and down onto the mattress. The two stared at each other with hazy expressions, both seemingly unsure of what to say about what had just happened. Nero was the brave one to speak up first after a bit as he eyed the half devil tiredly.

 

"Verg… Vergil, I do—"

 

The demon shook his head and raised his hand for Nero to be silent, stopping him before he could continue. 

 

"Go to sleep," Vergil ordered him and abruptly shifted from atop him on the bed, instead choosing to sit on the edge with his legs dangling over and his back to Nero.

 

He didn't miss the hurt look on the boy's face, nor the small whimpering of pain as the other shifted around in the blankets. Something inside of Vergil stirred at the sound, but he really didn't want to acknowledge it right now. The devil was ashamed of himself, to say the least. He was supposed to just get rid of the brat and move on with his plans, so what the  **hell** had just happened?

 

Vergil tried to scold himself and convince his more logical half that it was just all the years of being pent up without any sort of release, but that sort of thing had never been all that important to him and it certainly shouldn't be now, so deep down he knew that was no real excuse. The devil was certain he'd never felt anything at all when he'd been seducing Nero inside of his mind, or at least, not that he ever noticed, so why  **now** ? Why the hell was he  _ so _ out of control of this situation that he'd just ended up plowing the boy who  _ he didn't care about _ into the mattress and now he was feeling guilty about hurting his feelings?

 

The devil growled and shook his head as he stood from the bed, only briefly taking a moment to glance back and see that Nero had passed out from exhaustion. With a sigh he stalked over and found his discarded pants and boxers, which he quickly dressed in and then located his now destroyed shirt. The devil trotted over to the trash can and tossed the torn fabric inside with a small grimace—he'd have to be making another stop downtown before he confronted Dante again.

 

Shopping was the furthest thought from Vergil's mind as he leaned against the windowsill and stared out into the night. Sometime during their tryst it had started storming again, and as the lightning flashed outside the window it showed the reflection of the lump in the bed sheets behind Vergil and the devil felt something inside of his chest constrict.

 

He'd deal with the brat for sure this time… when Nero woke up.


	17. Revelations

Nero wasn't sure how long he'd been out when he finally woke up. The room was fairly dim because of the rain clouds outside, though he could tell it was day time by the very pale light filtering in through the window. The rain seemed unimportant, however, as the teen's gaze landed on the lone figure staring out into the distance in front of the window.

 

' _ Vergil….' _

 

In all honesty, Nero was surprised the man had stuck around all this time. Had he even slept? The hunter severely doubted it, considering the unused appearance of the other side of the bed and the tense but also weary stance of the other man. Then did that mean Vergil had been awake in this room with him the entire time and not only had he  _ not _ killed him, but the devil had let him sleep in as well? The thought was more than a little confusing for the sleep addled youth.

The half breed seemed completely oblivious to his presence, or at least uninterested, and the teen wasn't sure if he should disturb him. 

 

Nero very quietly slid out from under the sheets, giving a small wince at the lingering soreness in his body as his feet touched the floor, and he began to hunt down his clothing. Thank goodness he was a fast healer, because he didn't think he'd be able to even  _ walk _ otherwise. The hunter quickly slipped his clothing on, being as quiet as possible so as not to break the fragile moment of peace between them for he was certain something bad would happen.

All too soon the quiet in the room started to feel maddening, and the teen began to fidget. 

 

"Uh… Vergil…" Nero spoke up after he couldn't take the silence any longer. He wanted to wince at how small and pathetic he sounded right now, but the hunter managed to keep his voice steady all the same. It wouldn't do to show his emotions at the moment, of that he was certain.

 

Nero's query seemed to break Vergil out of the trance he was in, however, and the half devil slowly turned to face him. That unreadable mask was back in place, and the teen had to swallow the lump in his throat before he spoke again. 

 

"I don't… last night… What was that?" he finally managed to choke out. Nero was as terrified of the answer as he was anxious to know the truth, if only Vergil would give it to him, but even that much wasn't guaranteed. The half breed didn't exactly have a reputation for being honest with him. The silence stretched between them, unnerving and strained, but eventually Vergil opened his mouth to speak.

 

"It was a mistake."

 

If Nero had taken every hardship he'd ever suffered in his life, every hit, every punishment, and every heartache, and combined them all together, the blow wouldn't have hurt as much as that simple response from Vergil did in this moment. It was as if the wind had violently been stolen from his lungs by a brutal slam to the chest and he could safely say nothing had ever wounded him so deeply in his entire life. Kyrie had been easy enough to write off in comparison to  _ this _ . This was just… absolutely soul-crushing.

 

Nero had no idea how to respond. He wanted to scream, he wanted to cry, he wanted to lunge at Vergil and demand that he take that back—he wanted Vergil to admit he was just lying to get a reaction out of him and that he actually  _ didn't _ mean it. Nothing Nero wanted was going to happen though, even he wasn't that naïve as to hold out some sort of false hope now. Once a devil, always a devil, apparently. Nero knew the truth: he'd been there and Vergil had taken advantage of his weakness, it wasn't exactly a new story between them.

 

"You should leave. And don't come back, unless you really are as pathetic as I thought," Vergil added after a while, his gaze never straying from the window. 

 

Nero didn't respond as he gathered his things and fought back the tears he could feel pricking at the corners of his eyes. He wouldn't cry in front of this bastard, he  _ couldn't _ .

 

The young hunter threw one last glare over his shoulder at Vergil as his composure broke and a breathless sob escaped his lips on his way to the door. It was nearly silent, but Vergil had most likely heard it. Nero didn't stick around to find out, though, and hurried out of there before he lost the will to move. His legs carried him seemingly of their own accord out of the room and down the hall. He took the stairs two at a time until he was running out into the streets, ignoring the rain as it pelted down on him relentlessly. At least the droplets would disguise the tears that streaked down his face as he ran.

 

The hour must have been early still since the town was seemingly deserted. Nero passed a person here or there, but no one was interested in stopping him and for that he was grateful. The boy could barely even  _ think _ right now, he wasn't sure how he'd react if somebody stopped him and questioned what he was doing running around in the storm in tattered and bloody clothing at this hour. Not that anyone would question him most likely, for Nero was certain the citizens of this town seemed to have an understanding about not bothering the suspicious characters with white hair if they valued their safety and their sanity.

 

After a while Nero found himself approaching Dante's shop, though he wasn't even sure if he was welcomed there anymore. It felt like he'd been running with a sack of bricks on his back, and the teen could barely bring himself to trudge along the sidewalk to the less than impressive structure. His body eventually decided to rebel against all of the abuse he'd put it through in the last day and Nero collapsed into a heap on the front steps. He was briefly aware of some sounds from inside of the shop, but right now the youth could care less. His eyelids fluttered a bit before they slipped closed in sheer exhaustion and he passed out strewn across the stone steps like an abandoned ragdoll, oblivious to the rain and the uncomfortable position he was in.

 

It was unclear at first where he was as Nero's eyes slowly blinked open. The room wasn't one he'd ever been in before, but it had a familiar feeling to it. The teen groaned quietly and sat up in the bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he glanced around. There wasn't much to it, and the place was actually pretty messy… like a guy's room. Nero quirked an eyebrow as he became more aware of his situation and really took the surroundings in. He'd made it to the shop… and then he woke up here. Was this Dante's room? The leather pants strewn haphazardly across the floor and the sheer amount of  _ red _ clothing peeking out of the closet seemed to point to  _ yes _ . Nero guessed he must have been borrowing some of the man's pajamas as he looked down and saw them, but the cotton fabric he was wearing looked almost brand new, which left him to shudder wondering what the hell Dante actually  _ slept _ in.

 

Before he could escape the bed and really poke around, the bedroom door opened and Trish stepped in with a glass of water in hand. She closed the door silently and turned around, an expression of surprise quickly flitting across her features as she realized he was awake. 

 

"Well… good morning, sunshine," she teased as she crossed the room and placed the cup on the nightstand. "Looks like you're feeling better. You gave us quite the scare."

 

Nero grunted in response as he reached for the water and gulped down half of the glass. 

 

"I guess I just keep making things worse… I'm surprised you guys even let me in," he sighed quietly. It wasn't like he was intentionally trying to hurt them and cause problems, but that seemed to be all he could do lately.

 

"Mm, well, Dante was inclined to leave you outside for a while, but lucky for you I'm rather skilled at convincing him to do things he doesn't want to do," Trish replied with a wink. "Now…" she continued as she perched on the edge of the bed, "How about you tell me what's going on. And don't lie, because I  _ might _ just have to toss you right back out into the storm if you do."

 

To say Nero was uncomfortable was an understatement. He knew he owed it to everyone to be honest with them… but he also wasn't exactly leaping for joy at spilling all of his personal information. Yeah, he  _ could _ skirt around the racier bits, but they were all adults and surely they would  **know** . The teen rubbed awkwardly at the back of his neck as he considered his options: spill the info and let them know that he wasn't the little traitor he probably seemed like, or keep his mouth shut, save some dignity, but look like a total ass all at the same time. The decision was rather obvious when he thought about it, but it didn't exactly make this conversation any  _ easier _ .

 

"Hnn, alright," the hunter sighed and shook his head. "I guess I'll start at the beginning…" he murmured and shifted in the bed to get more comfortable. 

 

Trish, seemingly able to sense something juicy, settled onto the far side of the bed in preparation for a long story, and Nero felt a bit like a steak under her hungry gaze. He just knew this story wasn't going to last long between them before the woman was off spreading it to the rest of the shop, but maybe that was for the best anyways, it would save him the trouble of having to retell this story to Lady and especially Dante… that would  _ not _ be a pleasant discussion at all, he was sure. Nero took a deep breath to steel his nerves and then started. 

 

"It all began last year when I was still dating Kyrie. I had been having these really freaky… dreams, I guess you could call them," he explained and rubbed at the back of his head. It wasn't all that easy to put words to his thoughts, but he was determined to do this. He had to, for their sakes. "But they weren't like 'dreams', they were more like  _ memories _ , I suppose. It was really strange. I tried researching it but nothing really panned out at first. It wasn't until a little while later that  **he** started showing up…"

 

It was hard to tell how long they talked since Nero had no idea what time he'd woken up, but he could safely assume it had been a couple of hours because the sun was setting outside of the window and he was suddenly  _ starving _ . The teen had never been so thankful for his stomach growling in his life though, since the sound broke through the awkward and tense silence that had followed after he'd finished regaling Trish with his tale. The female hunter seemed shocked, yet a knowing sort of smile had crept its way onto her lips mid-way through the story and had stayed there ever since. Yeah, this was definitely going to be a long night for Nero.

 

"How about I go and get you some pizza before Dante eats it all?" Trish suggested as she rose from the bed. Nero nodded at her and flopped lazily back into the pillows, his arm slung over his eyes to block out the light for a few minutes. He heard the door open and then click closed as Trish excused herself from the room, no doubt to go blab all of what he'd just told her to the other two hunters in the shop before she actually returned with his food.

 

' _ Oh well… it's not like you didn't want them to know the truth anyways, and at least you don't have to explain it all again…' _

 

Nearly thirty minutes passed and Nero was starting to fall asleep when he heard the door open again. 

 

"It's about time, I thought you forgot about m-…" The teen blinked, the words dying in his mouth as he looked up to see Dante instead of Trish.  _ 'Shit.' _

 

The quietness that settled over the room was almost too much as the seconds stretched into minutes. Nero could hear his own heartbeat drumming loudly in his ears, and his mouth was suddenly far too dry no matter how many times he swallowed. Dante didn't seem to be any better, if the man's stiff demeanor and unsure facial expressions were anything to judge by. Suddenly pizza was the last thing on Nero's mind. For a moment he considered how easy it would be to make an escape out of the window, but he quickly brushed that thought aside—he would face this like a man, consequences be damned.

 

"…  _ What in the actual HELL _ , kid?!" Dante finally spat out after a while, his face finally taking on a disappointed and irritated scowl. Nero thought that perhaps he enjoyed the silence better as he sort of shrank back into the bed, a pillow pulled protectively to his chest. Dante was pissed, and he had no excuse this time.

 

"Dante, I know. I'm sorry I jus—"

 

"No," the elder hunter interjected and shook his head. "Save the excuses 'cause Trish already told me everything. Just what in the  _ holy hell _ were you  _ thinking _ , honestly?  _ Vergil _ , really? Vergil. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I'd swear she was losing it with that story she told me," Dante rambled on, and Nero could see the frustration clear on his face. It was hard to tell what exactly he was the  _ angriest _ about, but Nero suspected it actually had less to do with him and was more still lingering shock that his brother was even alive. But Dante was most certainly still pissed at him.

 

"Like, okay, it's my fault for not explaining exactly  _ who _ he was to you when I gave you Yamato… but  _ come on _ , Nero!" the devil continued and the teen winced at his tone. "Why the hell didn't you tell me what was going on sooner? That sort of stuff isn't exactly normal, even for people like us, and you just kept it to yourself?! Call me crazy, but if some  _ strange man was talking to me inside my head _ for all those months then you can bet your ass I'd probably tell someone,  _ especially if he looks just like someone else I know _ !" Dante was practically shouting at this point, not that the teen blamed him at all.

 

Nero had no real response for that except to look appropriately ashamed. It all seemed so ridiculous now that he was looking back on it. How he had ever thought bottling this all up and hiding it was the best idea he couldn't really explain, except to say that maybe he was just being a stupid, lonely kid. Hopefully it wasn't a mistake that they couldn't get passed though.

 

"And then… and THEN HE TOLD YOU IT WAS HIM AND YOU STILL DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING?" Dante roared and punched the wall next to the door. It was a rare outburst from the hunter, that much was for sure, but given the situation Nero was just glad the man had taken it out on the cheap plaster and not his face—not that he would blame Dante much if it came to that.

 

"Dante… I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say," Nero finally murmured after a bit. "I was being an idiot," he admitted and sighed heavily into the pillow. "He promised me so much… I'd just been dumped by Kyrie, I wasn't exactly in a good place, and he… he was in my head! You don't even know the stuff he'd tell me, the things he offered… I just didn't want to lose that. I was terrified if I told you he'd go away and I'd been all alone. I didn't wanna be in the way here…" the teen elaborated. "And before you say it, I know how stupid that was. Trust me… I know firsthand. Just… please, know that I am honestly sorry for all of this. The entire situation is my fault, and I never meant for it to come to this. I thought… I guess I thought you guys would make up and everything would be sunshine and roses, or something stupid like that," he continued with a small, bitter snort. "Big mistake."

 

Nero didn't know how else to explain himself to the older man. Hopefully Dante understood how truly sorry he was for the trouble he'd caused and the way he'd lied and held back the truth from him, but the teen was already prepared for the man to throw him out on his ass for this. It was true, Nero had never been told just how dangerous Vergil actually was, but that didn't matter now. He'd released the man from the 'cage' he was in and now the monster was roaming free… and was clearly out for blood.

 

Dante crossed the room, and Nero briefly wondered if this was it and prepared himself to either be hit or to be snatched up and tossed out. What he wasn't expecting was the hug that he received.

 

"Kid, shut up," Dante sighed and ruffled his hair as he pulled away after a few moments. "I'm not gonna hit you, as much as you  _ have _ kind of been asking for it," the devil snorted back. "I'm just glad you're alive. You're still an idiot, but at least you haven't been chopped to bits," Dante continued. "Keeping the sentimental bits between us, you're sort of like a little brother to me so I'd be pretty pissed if that asshole sliced you in half," the hunter added, his tone much friendlier and more back to normal than before. "Now come on, the pizza's probably ice cold by now, if there's even any left."

 

Nero gaped at Dante for a while until the hunter smacked him on the back of the head and scolded him for staring like an idiot. The teen quickly snapped out of his shock and scrambled out of the bed to follow him, his hunger suddenly remembered as his appetite returned full force now that he was no longer terrified.

 

For the first time since Vergil had been released, Nero actually had a feeling that maybe everything would turn out alright in the end. Sure, the devil was still on the loose, but now he was at the shop with the people who actually cared about him, and everyone was fully aware of just what they were dealing with. It gave the teen some hope that they would make it through this after all, though he couldn't fully ignore the nagging feeling in the back of his mind that things were going to get a whole lot worse before they got better.

 

Nero just didn't realize at the moment how right he actually was, completely unaware of the darkness approaching as he let himself relax and join in with the rowdy gang downstairs, and to  _ forget _ about backstabbing half devils for the time being.


	18. Attachment

If there was one thing to be said about Nero's friends, it was that they were forgiving. There was no awkwardness as he headed downstairs with Dante to join the crew for pizza, despite his many betrayals of them over the last several months, and especially just in the last couple of days. In fact, it seemed just about everyone was on the same page about not bringing Vergil up at all. Maybe the group just wanted to pretend he didn't exist and relax for the night, or maybe it was just their way of getting through the evening without ruining it entirely for the teenager, but Nero was thankful for it either way.

 

Nero sighed in contentment as he flopped back on the couch, patting his stomach after his sixth slice of pizza. That had been a meal much-needed, and he already felt a lot better since waking up. Most of the soreness from the beatings over the past day was gone, and even the much more uncomfortable pain he'd been feeling from his tryst last night had seemed to fade as he relaxed with Dante and the girls. The dull ache that remained was an annoying reminder of the bastard he was trying his best not to think about, but he knew that too would disappear soon enough. The most annoying part of it all was whenever he would wince Nero would swear he saw Lady and Trish smirking at each other. It was embarrassing, but Dante's obliviousness to it all at least gave him the comfort of knowing that Trish hadn't actually told him about the physical part of his 'relationship' with the man's brother. That would just make things more awkward.

 

All in all, Nero could say he was having fun for the first time in a very long time. After dinner Dante had challenged everyone to play poker, and the youngest hunter wasn't going to let the 'old man' show him up, so he'd happily joined in even though he'd only played once or twice before. After a few rounds and a few bottles of alcohol that were pulled out from the back, the girls left the room to go change into more comfortable clothing now that it was apparent that no one was going home tonight. Nero was already in Dante's oversized pajamas, so he remained seated as the eldest hunter tottered off to go find something 'appropriate' to wear instead of just stripping down like he normally did. No one was going to sleep yet, but leather and tight clothing wasn't the most comfortable thing to wear when one was likely going to pass out.

 

After everyone returned in more comfortable shirts and sleep pants the games only got more ridiculous. Nero wasn't sure how it happened, but they ended up arm wrestling each other after a while. The younger male found it pretty hilarious when he beat Dante using his Devil Bringer and the older man kept harassing him for a rematch, but Nero's ego was quickly squashed when Lady trounced him after he'd been forced to use his normal arm. No one paid attention to the late hour as they joked around and drank, and eventually they passed out one by one, scattered about the front room of the shop. Nero ended up sprawled out on the couch with Lady strewn over the opposite end, and his feet were dangling off on top of Dante's back as the man laid on the floor using Trish for a pillow.

 

A few hours passed until the sun finally started to rise over the city. The rain had stopped, leaving the light to filter softly through the shops windows onto the sleeping group of hunters. The light in his eyes caused Nero to stir first, and he sat up with a groggy groan and rubbed at his face irritably. It was far too early to be awake, but now that he was up he didn't think he could go back, especially with the throbbing headache he was now sporting. The teen carefully extracted himself from the crowded couch and tiptoed his way out and over to the bathroom.

 

After handling his morning business and splashing water on his face, Nero had to admit as he stared into the mirror, he looked like hell. The hunter shook his head and exited the bathroom, deciding to get a little bit of fresh air while the city was still quiet. He didn't go far, only out onto the front steps of the  _ Devil May Cry _ where he stretched his limbs and took in the quiet, damp morning air. Nero stayed out there for a while, just leaning against the front door and watching the occasional person pass down the street or a piece of garbage flutter by in the breeze. It wasn't until he was about to turn and head back inside that the teen spotted a familiar face approaching from the distance.

 

Nero felt his breath catch as his gaze settled on the man that was slowly but steadily approaching the shop. He felt like he couldn't move or even speak as the tall, silver haired figure made his way towards him as silent as a ghost. The teen knew he should move, to warn the others or to attempt to stop the man, but he just couldn't. He wasn't sure if it was fear or shock holding him in place, or some strange power that the other man held over him, but he just couldn't seem to snap himself out of it. It wasn't until the man was at the bottom of the steps that Nero managed to regain his composure enough to talk.

 

"Vergil."

 

The devil stared at Nero intensely enough that the teen felt as if he might burst into flames any second. Vergil hadn't said a word to him, only stared with that cool, calculating expression on his face, and that scared him more than he'd like to admit. Cold words or even a sword strike were what Nero expected, not this silent treatment as if he was a criminal on trial and being examined by a higher authority than himself. 

 

"Vergil, what do you want?" Nero managed to force out, sounding much tougher than he felt at the moment. Vergil didn't seem to care though.

 

"You smell like  _ him _ ," the devil hissed. It was quiet, yet the tone of Vergil's voice was more acidic than Nero had ever heard it. He didn't even understand what the man was talking about, but he did recognize the brief flash of pure, deadly rage that flitted across the normally stoic features. Whatever Vergil was on about, he was clearly much more pissed _ now _ than when he'd initially arrived.

 

"Vergil, what are you even talking abo—HEY!" Nero found himself shoved harshly to the side as the devil streaked past him into the shop, only registering as a mere blur to the teen. "Dante!" the hunter shouted as he struggled to regain his footing. They were like sitting ducks in there; Nero cursed himself as he hurried in after the half devil since should have warned them the moment Vergil arrived instead of acting like a frightened school girl.

 

Luckily for all, Nero was a bit louder than he liked to think he was, and Dante was already awake inside the shop long before Vergil ever arrived. The teen burst through the door in time to see the older hunter locking blades with Vergil easily as if they sparred every day. Lady and Trish had already moved to the sides of the shop, both with weapons drawn, but Dante's bark for everyone to stay back kept them at a distance. Nero didn't know what to do without getting in the way, so despite his need to help he stayed back so Dante could handle it. If things looked to be getting out of control then he would intervene, one way or another.

 

Nero hated to admit it, but watching the pair fight was something else. He could barely keep up with their movements, though something was decidedly different this time. Vergil, in the brief instances that Nero had seen him fight in the past, had always seemed much more calculated and in control of his strikes. Now, as the twins slashed at each other and blocked blows from the opposing blades, the elder twin's movements seemed much more erratic. It seemed like Dante sensed this too, if the very faint smirk he was sporting was anything to go by.

 

The fighting went on for several long, tense minutes as neither twin gave any ground to the other. Nero could see Lady's fingers twitching on the triggers of her guns the longer the battle stretched on. Trish's tense stance on the other side of the room showed that she was fairing no better, and Nero could feel his own fists clenching and unclenching with anticipation. Dante had told them not to help, but damned if it wasn't hard not to join in and just overwhelm Vergil to end this already.

 

It was pretty amazing to the teen though, how the pair managed to keep from completely wrecking the shop. In fact, besides the poor couch being kicked roughly to the opposite side of the room after a few hits to it, the damage had mostly been contained to each other. Vergil's nice new black shirt had many long gashes in it, and Dante's bare chest was just as scratched up from quickly healing wounds. There were no spectral blades blasted, no guns fired, just good old fashioned sword fighting, and if Nero hadn't been so worried for his friend and freaked out over Vergil's psychotic behavior he  _ might _ have actually enjoyed the show.

 

Nero watched as the expression on Vergil's face slowly morphed from anger and determination to desperation. The man was probably wearing down, after all, he had been locked away in Nero's mind and who-only- _ knew _ where else for many years, and his stamina was surely not what it once was so soon after emerging into the real world. Instead of bringing relief, however, that revelation only served to further disturb the teen. A desperate man was far more dangerous than a rational one.

 

The move was so fast that Nero barely caught it happening. Vergil twisted the blade in his hand and made a quick slash at Dante that was easily blocked, but in the split second of that motion he shot a lone Summoned Sword straight for his brother's jugular. Nero screamed and reacted immediately as his Devil Bringer sprang forth and Snatched Dante. The younger twin was pulled back to Nero's side and dropped to the ground, and Vergil was left to stab at empty air.

 

"I told you not to interfere!" Dante snapped, clearly still hyped up on adrenaline as he pulled himself free of Nero's grasp.

 

"Yeah, well, you were about to get skewered so you can thank me later," Nero snorted at Dante as his Bringer settled down. Leave it to Dante to be a brat when someone else had to save the day.

 

"I had it handled, Kid. Were you worried you wouldn't see my pretty face again?" the older hunter teased him, leaving Nero to roll his eyes. The teen was about to respond when a vicious snarl reminded him that there was one pissed off half demon across the room who hated being ignored.

 

"I'm not done with you!" Vergil snarled at his brother and pointed his sword at the man. "Get over here and finish what we've started," he demanded.

 

Nero shook his head and stood between Dante and Vergil. 

 

"Go home, Vergil. You're not going to accomplish anything by fighting him! It's over!" The teen stood his ground firmly even though he was unarmed. Maybe he couldn't stop Vergil physically, but he could try and talk some sense into him. This whole thing was idiotic, Vergil was free, so why did it matter if he beat Dante or not?

 

"Shut up and move, or else," Vergil ordered Nero, the deadly aura emanating from him causing Nero to flinch just slightly. "I  _ will _ kill you if you interfere again."

 

Nero growled and took a step forward, only to be pulled back by Dante.

 

"Let me handle this," the hunter spoke and brushed past the teen as he headed for the elder twin. "Clearly he's got a stick up his ass about fighting me, so nothing else is gonna get through that thick skull of his."

 

"Dante, don't! He's going to kill you!" Nero called out as the twins approached one another and raised their swords again. Those two were just alike, stubborn bastards who refused to lose. It made Nero want to punch them both, and he decided he just might do that if they didn't kill each other first. The thought was somewhat calming in its ridiculousness, but it didn't really distract him from what he was going to do when this fight was over. Someone was going to die. If it was Dante… well, Nero was afraid to even think of what the consequences might be. But, if it was Vergil… something about that thought disturbed him even more. The guy was a first rate asshole, but had Nero  _ really _ gotten so attached that the thought of Vergil dying was scaring him? Maybe he was the one who needed to be punched to his senses.

 

Nero stood back and watched as the pair went at each other again, swords flying along with insults, mostly from Dante. The younger twin was doing a first rate job of pushing Vergil's buttons, that much was clear, but it seemed the pause in their fight earlier had helped the elder devil regain his composure during battle because he wasn't giving an inch. In fact, it looked like Vergil was slowly but surely gaining the upper hand in their fight. Dante was constantly on the defensive, and Vergil was showing no signs of relenting in his lightning fast strikes.

 

The vicious clang of metal on metal continued for some time, until a sickening 'thunk' resounded throughout the room. Yamato's sheath had connected with quite a bit of force against Dante's rib cage and forced the younger devil back with a pained grunt. Vergil took that opportunity to arc his blade down at Dante's stomach, but the move was deflected with a quick backwards slash of Rebellion and the younger brother was back in the fight again. Nero nearly choked on the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding while the two went back to their routine of parrying and slashing at one another wildly. If this didn't stop soon he was going to be sick.

 

Nero's wish seemingly came true as Vergil's next strike was deflected again, Yamato faltering in his grip from the powerful strike Dante managed to deliver against the blade with his own sword. The elder demon stumbled from the blow, and it was as if Nero was watching everything that happened next in slow motion. Rebellion shot out towards Vergil's abdomen, the strike hard and fast for the first real opening Dante had come across during their fight. Nero moved without thinking and shoved Vergil out of the way, only to have a blinding pain explode in his back in the next instant.

 

The teenaged hunter glanced down at his stomach where the bloodstained tip of Rebellion was poking out of him. It took a few moments for the reality to actually kick in, and then it was suddenly as if time had sped up once again and the next thing Nero knew the entire shop sounded as if it'd exploded from the sudden screams and shouts echoing through it. He heard none of the words though; everything sounded like a loud, dull buzzing in the background to him. Nero could only focus on the sound of his own blood trickling out of the wound around Rebellion, and of his own heartbeat thudding in his ears. 

 

The wound didn't hurt much, and Nero wasn't sure if that was normal or not. He was starting to feel dizzy though, and weakly clutched at the blade. 

 

"Da-… Dante…" he coughed out, flecks of crimson flying out of his mouth as his hands began to shake. This wasn't what he'd meant to happen, though what exactly he  _ did _ mean to occur, Nero really didn't know. Seeing Dante about to kill Vergil had awoken something in him though, and he'd reacted without thinking.

 

"Shit! Kid, hang on. Don't move!" Dante ordered him amidst the frantic atmosphere in the shop. 

 

During the commotion Lady and Trish had hurried off to fetch the first aid kit, towels, and whatever else they could think of while shouting at Dante and Nero not to move the sword and not to move Nero. Vergil was left to stare blankly at the scene before him, looking like he was caught in a state of disbelief and confusion, or perhaps he just didn't care.

 

Nero glanced up weakly to meet the frigid blue gaze in front of him, and it was then that he saw the turmoil on Vergil's face. Something was clearly wrong with the man the moment that they locked eyes. It looked as if someone had slapped Vergil across the face, his lips had parted slightly as if he wanted to speak but didn't know what to say. There was no sneer, no look of pity or disgust; in fact, if Nero wasn't on the verge of passing out he might have thought the other man was actually concerned for him.

 

"…Vergil. I don't, I don't know wha—" Nero began coughing violently again and blood spilled out from his lips and dribbled down his chin as he clutched at his abdomen around the sword still piercing it. "You… n-need to stop," the teen continued until it became too hard for him to speak and he dissolved into another coughing fit.

 

Was this it? Was this how he was going to die? Caught in the middle of a sibling rivalry with nothing to show for it? If anything, Nero hoped that at least Vergil would take his advice and just  _ stop _ . Maybe he couldn't understand what the other man had been through, but it couldn't be entirely Dante's fault- and even if it was, what good would killing him do now? Clearly this was some sort of revenge streak for something that had occurred in the past, but it couldn't be worth all this bullshit.

 

"He's not worth it. It doesn't ha…have to be this way," Nero choked out as he felt his body sag into the firm grip behind him. The teen passed out in Dante's arms, vaguely aware of being carefully laid down on his side on the ground with Rebellion still inside of him before everything went black.


	19. Collapse

The first thing that Nero was aware of was the bright light shining in his eyes. For a second he thought he might be dead and that this was heaven, but something wasn't quite right. His suspicions were confirmed when the light was suddenly replaced with a face that was much too close to his own and then a surprised gasp escaped the perpetrator.

 

"DANTE. LADY. He's awake!" Trish howled just inches from his face before she finally sat back and switched off the flashlight she was holding. The blond winked at Nero while she placed the flashlight on the bedside table and then grabbed a cup of water that was resting there. "I'm sure you've got to be thirsty, open up," she coaxed as she helped him ease his body upright in the bed and held the glass to his lips.

 

Nero wasn't sure how to react as he stared at the woman, but he opened his mouth and drank the water all the same. His brain was taking its sweet time catching up to the situation he was in, and it wasn't until Lady appeared in the open doorway that things really started to sink in. The teen's hands immediately flew down to his stomach to find a patch of bandages taped to his abdomen. He ran his fingertips over the fabric, grimacing slightly at the soreness he experienced when pressure was applied.

 

"You weren't exactly in the best condition to be recovering from a stab wound. You're one lucky little brat," Lady called out from the doorway. "We didn't think you were going to make it at first. I guess you're just as stubborn as the rest of them," she continued with a soft snort and turned to leave. "Trish, quit fawning all over the boy and leave him be, Dante's got a job for us anyways," the brunette hunter added over her shoulder as she left the room.

 

Trish sighed and pursed her lips in a small pout as she sat the glass of water back down and rose from the bed. 

 

"Don't even think of moving from this spot until we get back," she chided good naturedly. "Don't need you tearing anything open that might not have healed… though it  _ has _ been two days, so you're probably fine. We'll give you a good once over tonight, just in case," the blond woman added with a smirk and headed out after Lady.

 

Nero's gaze followed Trish until she was gone from sight and he was left to stare out at the empty hallway instead. There wasn't much to see, so he lied back down with a soft grumble of discomfort and sighed loudly. This pattern was starting to get old. His memory was a little fuzzy on the details, but he knew he'd been stabbed. Was he fighting? Not that he remembered. In fact, Nero didn't recall even having a weapon when he'd woken up in the shop the other day. It made his head hurt to concentrate so hard, but it helped the teen recall a few details.

He'd woken up and gone outside, and then…

 

"Vergil."

 

The teen gasped sharply as he sat up and strained his sore muscles once more. Vergil had come to the shop, and they'd fought. No- Vergil and  _ Dante _ had fought, and Dante was going to kill his brother… until Nero got in the way. The thought sent his head reeling all over again.

Nero groaned as he leaned carefully back against the headboard and tried to compose himself. What in the hell had he been thinking? Helping  _ Vergil _ ? The teen scoffed and shook his head.

 

"I must be losing my mind," he muttered quietly to no one in particular.

 

"I was starting to wonder myself."

 

Nero nearly jumped out of the bed at the sound of the unexpected voice. His head snapped immediately towards the door, only serving to worsen his headache as he stared wide-eyed at Dante who had apparently arrived while he was arguing with himself like an idiot.

 

"Dante… I didn't—I'm, uh… yeah..." Nero wanted to face palm with how stupid he sounded right now.

 

"Don't worry about it, Kid. We'll discuss it when I get home. Just wanted to check on ya' since Trish said you were finally up. Try not to attract any more trouble while we're gone," the devil smirked and closed the door behind him as he left.

 

Nero sighed loudly and flopped back into the pillows again. He had to be a complete moron, or just totally  _ insane _ . He'd bet money that the others were convinced it was the latter.

 

' _ No wonder me and Vergil made such a good pair.' _

 

The teen groaned and pulled a pillow over his face while he mentally scolded himself for that thought. Was he  _ serious _ right now? How could he  _ still  _ be thinking nonsense like that? Especially considering everything he'd been through at the hands of Vergil. Yet here he was, moping in bed where he was stuck as a result of protecting that jerk.

 

"Ugh… I hate him. That stupid, worthless, stuck up son of a bitch, bastard, asshole!" Nero snarled and accidentally shredded the pillow he was clutching with his Devil Bringer. The silverette winced at the thought of explaining that one later and quickly tossed the ruined fabric aside, vaguely noting that the innards were cheap cotton and not the soft downy interior from the ones in his 'dreams' with Vergil.

 

"YOU'RE DOING IT AGAIN!" Nero hissed at himself and punched the mattress. He was going to go insane for real if he kept this up, but alas, he was pretty much trapped in the shop with no one to talk to about the messed up shit running through his head. Nero was screwed, to say the least.

 

Since he clearly wasn't going to get any peace, but he wasn't in any shape to leave either, Nero figured it would be best to just go back to sleep until the others returned to the shop. Otherwise he was certain he would drive himself even crazier, if that was even possible. With a quiet huff the teen snagged a pillow that had managed to survive his little outburst earlier and covered his face with it, and eventually he drifted off into a light slumber.

 

Nero stared ahead at the scene before him. He didn't recognize where he was initially; the place seemed familiar but Nero couldn't recall ever being there before. It was dark and hot and difficult to make out many details, but he felt as if he knew the surroundings like the back of his hand all the same. Vergil was there too, but the man either didn't notice him or didn't care. The teen was unsure whether it was worth the risk to ask him what was going on, but he decided he might as well try.

 

"Vergil? What are you doing here? What am  _ I _ doing here?" Nero called out as he cautiously approached the man. "What is this place?"

 

The hunter received no answer; whatever Vergil was staring at had the man's full attention. Nero followed the path of that frosty gaze into the distance, and that's when he spotted it. There were three glowing orbs in the sky, though they were quite a ways off and mired in a deep, unnatural darkness that he couldn't see beyond. Nero didn't know why, but that unsettled him greatly. Something terrible was lurking there, he could just _ feel _ it. Vergil seemed to sense it too, for in the next instant the man had drawn Yamato and was sprinting full-force towards the dark presence.

 

Nero cursed under his breath and took off after the half-breed with the nagging feeling that he was about to witness something truly awful. Vergil was strong, he knew that first hand, but that  _ thing _ … it was on a whole different level.

 

The young hunter chased after Vergil until a woman with long blond hair suddenly appeared a little ways in front of them, and the half-devil skidded to a halt. Nero blinked when he saw the woman's face, certain that he must be seeing things.

 

"What the hell? Trish?" he called out, but neither one seemed to hear or even acknowledge him.

 

"Mother…" Vergil murmured, and the look on his face said it all.

 

The devil looked so utterly convinced that Nero almost believed it too. But he knew this woman as Trish — and while Dante was a strange one, he definitely wasn't the type to act so familiar with his own  _ mom _ . So, just what in the hell was going on here? It was then that he recalled the photo on Dante's desk, the very same one that he had found the picture of the twins hidden behind that one time in the shop. Trish and the twins' mother looked nearly identical, save for some very minor differences, which he could easily spot now as if each one had been specifically highlighted. There was no doubt in his mind that this was Trish.

 

Nero couldn't help but to think back to a conversation he'd had with Vergil during one particularly boring night in his head a good while back. It had been just after Vergil's real identity had been revealed, and the devil had divulged a few details about himself, much to Nero's surprise. One thing that had stuck out to the teen was that the older man held a deep resentment for Trish, though he'd never fully explained why. Every time Nero had questioned their relationship, Vergil had brushed it off as 'too personal'. Was he about to witness just what  _ exactly _ had transpired between them?

 

The answer was  _ yes, _ and Nero was not prepared for it at all as he watched it unfold right before his eyes.

 

Vergil reached for Trish, a look of complete and utter bewilderment on his face as he seemingly tried to understand how his mother was  _ here _ of all places. Suddenly, before the man could even make contact with his supposed 'mother', the half breed was pierced through the chest by three deep red energy blades and lost his footing. Nero screamed when Vergil collapsed to his knees and he ran to the injured man, but the hunter found that he could only pass right through the devil, as if he was a ghost.

 

"Vergil, shit!" the young hunter gasped and whirled around to find the source of the attack. A deep, ominous chuckle rumbled from in the distance where the glowing orbs floated in the sky, and that's when he realized what he was actually seeing. This was the moment when Vergil was lost to the devil realm.

 

"Well done," the demonic voice congratulated the woman, and Trish bowed in return.

 

"Thank you, master," she replied in a more robotic tone than Nero was used to, and turned to leave.

 

Vergil groaned weakly as he struggled to his feet and slashed out at her with Yamato, but the blond retaliated with a blast of lightning that put the devil down roughly to his knees once more and then she continued on her way towards her master. Vergil hissed in pain and frustration and pulled himself up once more, clearly not ready to give up just yet as he ripped the spectral spikes from his body and tossed them aside.

 

"Vergil… Damn it, don't do this!" Nero called out, but it went unheard as history played out in front of him. 

 

The hunter felt like he was going to be sick, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the scene. Vergil didn't seem to be faring too well, but the stubborn devil lunged for the dark figure with all of the ferocity that he was known for anyways. Nero could only stand by helplessly as he was forced to watch the grisly spectacle unfold. He wouldn't turn his back, no matter how much he wanted to pretend this wasn't happening.

 

Vergil pulled his sword back and began to unleash a Judgment Cut until three more energy spikes slammed into him and sent him reeling face first into the ground, effectively ending his strike. Any chance for recovery was quickly cut off as an enormous stone-like hand shot out from the depths of the darkness and snatched the half-devil from the ground. Vergil struggled in the demon's hold, but it was no use. He was clearly outmatched and had been from the start.

 

"Pathetic creature. I expected more from the spawn of the traitor. You'll make a good pet nonetheless," the demonic voice chortled out mockingly. 

 

Nero stared on in horror as the demon laughed and Vergil was slammed mercilessly down into the ground like a discarded ragdoll. Yamato landed next to Vergil, who clutched at the blade weakly as he choked on his own blood. The sword scraped against the ground in his hold before it broke with a sickening snap. The half devil cried out in pain as if it had been him to break into pieces and he dropped the blade by his side.

 

Vergil's eyes slowly closed, but Nero saw him mouth one last word before he was gone:

' _ Dante _ .'

 

Nero awoke with a choked sob and flung himself from the bed, not caring that he landed hard on his knees on the floor. He scrambled to his feet and tore out of the bedroom, just barely making it into the bathroom to the toilet where he proceeded to empty the contents of his stomach until he could no longer even summon the energy to hold himself up. The teen slumped against the cold porcelain, gasping heavily while he tried to slow his rapidly beating heart.

 

That had been awful, to put it lightly. Nero had seen little snippets of the events that had taken place in that dark abyss when Vergil had still be trapped inside of his head, but he'd never actually witnessed the entire occurrence. It was truly a horrible thing to be forced to watch, but Nero felt like he also understood Vergil a little better now.

 

The teenaged hunter coughed quietly and rested against the toilet while he contemplated what he'd seen and heard. He desperately wanted to know why Vergil had done what he'd done, but what was more interesting to him was that the eldest twin, in his last moments, had called for his brother. Vergil had been all about completely  _ crushing _ Dante since the moment he'd arrived in the human realm once more. Was that awful experience part of the reason why? The only way Nero figured he would find out would be to try and get the story from Dante. Vergil and what exactly had happened between the twins seemed to be rather taboo subjects around the shop, but after all the bullshit he'd been through Nero figured he sort of deserved to know, especially since he kept being caught up in the middle of their fights.

 

Nero stayed on the bathroom floor for a while until he finally became too uncomfortable and managed to drag his body to its feet. The teen accidentally caught his reflection in the mirror as he stood and he immediately grimaced at the sight—he looked like shit, to put it lightly. With a soft grumble he splashed his face with water and rinsed his mouth out, and then shuffled slowly back into the bedroom where he collapsed in a heap on the bed. A pillow was drawn to his chest and Nero buried his face in it as he took a deep breath and tried to block out the sickening images from his 'dream'. Maybe an actual nap might help, if he could keep the memories away.

 

The young hunter was more exhausted from the whole ordeal than he had realized and soon enough his eyelids started to flutter. Just as he was about to fall asleep a small noise from over in the corner roused him again and drew his attention. Nero shifted the pillow away from his face and gazed sleepily in the direction of the sound, where he spotted a blurry figure he was certain wasn't there before. He rubbed quickly at his eyes and sat up, now much more alert from the unexpected sight. Nero yelped softly in surprise and pushed himself back across the mattress when he realized it was Vergil, and he instantly went on guard.

 

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, secretly pleased that his voice sounded more confident than he actually felt. Being left unarmed around this man was starting to get old.

 

Vergil didn't answer right away, and instead approached the bed in a cautious manner. The two stared at each other, neither one willing to look away first or to give any of their intentions away to the other.

 

"I asked you a question," Nero continued, and he narrowed his eyes for good measure. He was tired of lying down and being walked on by this man. He'd rather get his ass kicked a million times than to submit and admit defeat now.

 

"I see that you're still in one piece," Vergil responded, completely ignoring Nero's question. The teen growled quietly as he fumbled around in the bedside table for a weapon or something to defend himself with, though his gaze never left the other man's face.

 

"Yeah, well, I'm tougher than I look. You of all people should know," the teen replied with a loud, pointed snort. He found no weapons in the drawer, but his hand closed around a small glass vile of some sort so he yanked it out and threw it immediately at the devil before him. Vergil was too quick for the meager assault, and easily sidestepped the attack with an almost amused look on his face. The bottle, which had been full of Holy Water, smashed into the wall and shattered into hundreds of pieces while the blessed liquid dribbled down and pooled onto the floor. Nero tried not to feel too disappointed, even though he was now completely defenseless and looked like a fool to top it all off.

 

"….That doesn't work on me, you know. It only really works properly on full-blooded demons," Vergil pointed out with his own soft snort. "Though it might sting a little," he conceded.

 

Nero growled and lashed out with his bringer, but Vergil managed to avoid that too as he teleported to the side. 

 

"What do you WANT, Vergil?" the teen roared in frustration. He was sick of being played with by this man and dragged around like he didn't matter.

 

Vergil didn't bother to answer, and instead turned his back to the younger man. Nero huffed out his annoyance at that and climbed from the bed, though he kept his distance just in case. It was hard to tell what Vergil could possibly be thinking, but he was going to be prepared for whatever the man threw his way.

 

"I swear, if you don't tell me what the hell you came here for then I'm going to kick your ass!" Nero threatened, though he doubted Vergil bought that story. He would try though, even if he got beaten to a pulp.

 

The half breed sighed loudly after the threat and finally turned around to face him. The pair locked eyes once more and Nero could practically see how uncomfortable the other man actually was beneath that cool exterior. Vergil tapped his fingers against Yamato's sheath as they stared at one another, and then finally, after a long and uncomfortable silence he answered Nero.

 

"I came to… talk."


	20. Realization

Vergil stared out of the window into the storm, but he wasn't really seeing it. All he could focus on was what he'd just done. Taking that boy… it was foolish, brash, and completely insane. Vergil couldn't stop thinking about it though, even as the hours trickled by. Maybe when he'd reemerged in the human realm his brain had been damaged—it would explain a lot.

 

Despite being lost in his thoughts, Vergil was keenly aware of when Nero woke up, though he was careful not to show it. He listened to the boy shuffling around—most likely getting dressed from the sound of it—and tried not to sigh; this was the part he'd been hoping to avoid. Sure enough, only moments later, Nero called out to him, the boy sounding especially feeble in a certain kind of way.

 

Vergil remained ever silent, not willing to speak up and acknowledge this whole scenario until he absolutely had to. It wasn't until Nero tried again, asking what exactly the whole mess between them last night had been, that the half breed finally decided he should reply.

 

"It was a mistake."

 

The devil spoke the words as coldly as he could, carefully hiding his own confusion and frustrations beneath that icy exterior. Nero would be hurt, he knew that much, but it was for the best. This whole situation had gotten far too out of control, and Vergil had no particular desire to continue with his shameful behavior, even though the way the pale light fell across the slighter man before him was stirring up vaguely familiar feelings from last night. He blamed his severe lack of partaking in… sensual pleasures earlier in life for this, and nothing else.

 

He quickly turned back to face the window again, not willing to trust his self control right now. The silence was thick and uncomfortable, but Vergil barely noticed over his own heartbeat thrumming in his ears. Something was seriously wrong with him, if he couldn't even get rid of a little brat without feeling sick.

 

"You should leave. And don't come back, unless you really are as pathetic as I thought," Vergil spat out after a moment, effectively sealing the nail in the coffin as far as he was concerned. He was right, too, judging from the way Nero flew out of the hotel room without a word. It wasn't hard to see that he had hurt the boy, far deeper than he'd ever planned to, but Vergil refused to move from that spot until he knew that Nero was half way across town.

 

When the coast was seemingly clear of young devil hunters and anyone else that might disturb him, Vergil finally pried himself from the window and sank down onto the edge of the bed. He sighed heavily and ran his hands through his hair, contemplating just what in the living hell was wrong with him. The boy was gone, who cared? Now he could focus on more important things… but at the moment, stabbing Dante was the last thing Vergil could say was on his mind, and he hated himself the most for it.

 

The devil growled out in frustration as he flopped ungracefully onto his back on the bed and dragged his hands over his face. He wanted to blame Nero for this, for all of this, but the boy had merely unleashed the problem Vergil had building up inside of him for a while. Besides, Nero had never asked to be seduced in the first place. But it was more than that, more than just the physical tryst they'd shared last night. No… something was definitely different now, and it left Vergil feeling particularly disgusted with himself. This was not what he worked so hard for in returning to the human realm, and that thought left the half breed feeling ashamed and sickened by his utter lack of self control pertaining to the whole sordid affair. He was just meant to use the boy to get out into the human realm and then forget about him forever, nothing else.

 

With a loud huff Vergil curled up on the bed, carefully avoiding the ruffled half of the blankets where Nero had been sleeping. The whole bed smelled like the teen aged hunter and it made him growl in annoyance, but Vergil couldn't bring himself to get up and move somewhere else right now. Instead the devil closed his eyes for some much needed rest, and resolved to worry about his situation when he was better able to handle it mentally and physically. He needed to be at the top of his game if he was going to get over this nonsense running through his head and get the revenge he was seeking.

 

Vergil wasn't sure how long he laid there, but when he opened his eyes again the sun was just beginning to rise. He groaned and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, feeling a bit sluggish after finally giving his body the rest it had needed for a while now. The devil pushed himself up from the bed and moved across the room to get dressed. It was clearly very early, but that was all the better for what he needed to do. Vergil knew that if he sat here thinking about it, then he would inevitably dwell on Nero and he might actually back down. It didn't help that his mind was plagued with thoughts of the boy the entire time that he dreamed, some of those thoughts not as innocent as he would prefer. He didn't believe in karma, but this was certainly starting to feel like it coming back to bite him—he broke Nero's heart so now the boy was breaking him.

 

A distraction was just what Vergil needed, and he would get it by going to finish his self-appointed mission. Sure, Nero would most likely be there, but maybe if he was lucky the brat would run away again, or even try to fight him and be killed, and then Vergil wouldn't have to worry about him anymore ever again. Feeling much more confident about accomplishing his goal, Vergil set out from the dilapidated hotel and headed towards Dante's shop to finish all of this.

 

It didn't take all that long for Vergil to reach the shop as he walked briskly through the cool morning air. He steeled himself for the encounter with his brother and stalked down the street towards the dumpy looking building at the end, ready to get this over with. A flash of white hair had the devil thinking he was in luck, for his brother was already outside, but as he approached it became apparent that is wasn't Dante who was on the steps, but Nero.

 

Vergil pushed the niggling feeling inside of him away and strode right up to the shop, ignoring the teen's words as he came to a stop before Nero. He barely even heard the other speaking as his eyes landed on the silky pajamas that were definitely too big for the young hunter. Icy blue eyes roamed over Nero's figure, taking in the disheveled state of him and the tired look on the boy's face. And then something strange wafted through the air, catching Vergil's attention as the smell invaded his nostrils. It smelled all too familiar, and  _ far too strong _ all over this boy. The half breed had had every intention of forgetting about whatever little  **thing** had started to form between himself and Nero, but all of that had flown straight out the window with this discovery.

 

"You smell like  _ him _ ," Vergil accused, hissing it out with pure venom as his common sense was shoved aside in the wake of smelling his _ brother's scent _ all over Nero. 

 

Something that he didn't even realize was there had snapped within Vergil, and someone was going to pay. He snarled in outrage and shoved the teen aside, bolting into the shop with murderous intent. His carefully laid out plans were all but forgotten, and any rational approach Vergil had been hoping for to beat his brother was now gone. He was going to rip that man's throat out with his bare hands for touching that boy.

 

It was apparent that Dante had been expecting his arrival with the way he locked swords easily with Vergil as the elder twin entered the building and struck. Everything else was forgotten as the pair clashed blades, and Dante barked out for everyone else to stay back. It was just as well, Dante was the one that Vergil  _ really _ wanted to kill right now. This was too much, especially after everything else the younger twin had done to him. Even if he told himself that he didn't want that little brat anymore, Dante had no right to go and take him away, just like he'd taken everything else.

 

It was hard for Vergil to say how long they fought, how many blows they exchanged, but it didn't matter. He wasn't leaving here without utterly  _ destroying _ his brother, consequences be damned. At some point they'd cleared the couch out of the way with their grappling, and Vergil had received a few strikes, but he'd returned just as many to his brother with a lot more venom behind them. The only sign that they'd actually been fighting for quite a while came in the all too familiar feeling of being dragged down that Vergil was experiencing as his lack of constant training began to catch up with him.

 

The elder devil let out a growl of frustration as he made a quick and desperate strike, easily being blocked by his brother, but he had more up his sleeve. Vergil blasted a Summoned Sword at Dante in the small gap left between their blades, and he grinned darkly knowing for sure that this was the turning point in their fight. His hopes were cruelly crushed, however, as Dante suddenly vanished from his field of view and Vergil was thrown off balance from the lack of resistance against his blade. His strike hit empty air and the demon stumbled, hissing in frustration as he glanced wildly around the room, looking for his intended target, only to realize that Nero had pulled Dante to safety with that infernal arm of his. 

 

_ 'Traitor.' _

 

Dante and Nero shared some banter with each other, looking all too comfortable for Vergil's tastes, and the eldest devil snarled in frustration. If they wanted to coddle each other and lick their wounds, they could do it when he was dead.

 

"I'm not done with you!" Vergil pointed Yamato at his brother and hissed, "Get over here and finish what we've started." 

 

His gaze quickly snapped to Nero, though, when the teen ordered him to go home and quit fighting and moved between the twins to separate them. Was he serious? Vergil wasn't about to just up and walk away now, not yet.

 

"Shut up and move, or else," Vergil demanded, narrowing his eyes darkly. "I  _ will _ kill you if you interfere again," the devil promised. As conflicted as he was on the teen, Vergil meant every word of it right now. No one was going to stop him from giving Dante what he deserved.

 

It seemed like Dante did have a sensible bone in his body after all, though, as the younger twin returned to the fight despite Nero's protests. Vergil tried not to let it show on his face how irritated it made him to hear Nero worried about Dante's safety, and instead focused his frustrations on hammering his blade down on his brother. In fact, the rage it added to the half devil began to give him an edge, and Vergil started to feel more confident that he was finally going to take his twin out of the equation once and for all as he rained blow after blow down on Dante.

 

Vergil thought he nearly had his twin when he used Yamato's sheath in an offensive strike to throw his brother off balance, but Dante had clearly gotten a lot better in the years that he'd been gone, since the youngest of the pair was able to regain his stance and parry the blow. Vergil wasn't concerned though, he was just getting started. Only seconds later Vergil's confidence faltered as an unexpectedly hard hit from Rebellion threw his own stance off balance and he stumbled, leaving himself wide open for the sword now thrusting straight for his midsection.

 

It happened in the blink of an eye; one second Vergil was bracing for the inevitable pain that would be ripping through his body, and the next, he was staggering off to the side from some unexpected force that had moved him out of the blade's path. It took several moments for the pieces to come together, and it wasn't until his eyes landed on the metal protruding from Nero's stomach that Vergil realized what had actually happened.

 

Vergil stared at the boy before him, taking notice for the first time of how truly terrible Nero actually looked. The gaping hole in his body aside, the teen looked tired, and not the kind of tired one becomes from lack of sleep. His hair seemed to shine a little less, and his eyes looked rather dull in comparison to the brilliant shade of blue that even put Vergil's to shame most days. His frame seemed to sag and something just seemed… missing.

 

This was exactly the kind of situation Vergil had been determined to avoid. Now he was face to face with the consequences of his actions, and he felt completely hollow. Was he sad? Angry? Regretful, or even pleased? Vergil honestly didn't know. He didn't feel anything, but not in the sense that he normally remained aloof and untouchable. No… it was as if he was missing something crucial, and the devil felt like he might be sick. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, but the words froze on his tongue and refused to come out. What was he going to say if he didn't even know what to think?

 

"Vergil. I don't, I don't know wha—" the boy began before a coughing fit wracked his body, and Vergil very nearly reached out to steady him, but he remained still as he fought internally with himself. "You… n-need to stop," Nero pleaded, but Vergil couldn't answer him. Stop what? Stop fighting? How could he? Nero had no idea what he had suffered, no one did, so who was this boy to tell him to give up the only thing he'd been living for all this time? It didn't matter if he did just sacrifice himself to save Vergil—no, it couldn't make up for all the tortures the half devil had endured thus far, nothing ever could.

 

"He's not worth it. It doesn't ha…have to be this way," the boy pleaded with him, but Vergil barely heard him. He watched silently as Dante caught the now limp body and started to lower him to the ground, and only then did Vergil actually move. He quietly helped his brother ease Nero onto the ground without jostling the sword, and the moment the boy was laid out in a safer position Vergil fled.

 

The devil ran, teleporting with what little energy he actually had left to get away faster. He didn't even know why he was running. He should have stayed and finished off Dante. There was no way his brother was in any condition to fight, especially since  _ he _ was the one who had stabbed Nero, but Vergil just had to get out of there. Between seeing the teen seemingly on death's door and his own traitorous thoughts, Vergil didn't think he could handle this anymore. Even being back in Mundus' servitude would be preferable: at least he wouldn't have to  _ think _ .

 

It was truly his own thoughts that betrayed him the most. The half breed could no longer focus on regrouping and finishing the fight. Instead Nero's pleas lingered in his mind, and it enraged him. Vergil entered the run down hotel room he'd been staying in and immediately lashed out, destroying the nightstand before turning his attention to the pillows. Nothing was safe from his wrath, and by the time he was done every piece of glass was shattered and anything that could be stabbed was full of holes.

 

Vergil slumped against the twisted wreck of the bed frame and sunk down the floor into a mess of ruined pillows and broken windows. He buried his face in his hands as he screamed out his frustrations for the first time, the sound more animalistic than actual words. If Nero had just let him be stabbed then he wouldn't be suffering through this nonsense right now. He could have at least died with some dignity, fighting to the death with pride and honor. Now he was left alone in a dirty hotel room with  _ neither _ after running away from feelings he didn't understand like a child. The demon stayed like that until he eventually passed out, his knees huddled to his chest and his face in his arms.

 

Vergil eventually came back to his senses a few hours later, but he didn't feel any better. He didn't have the energy or the willpower to move like he had before. He hated himself for acting this way while Dante was still out there, living it up and doing as he pleased, but some of that fire within him had been dampened. Vergil didn't want to admit that what Nero had said to him at the shop had gotten to him, but it was hard to ignore the facts. He just had to fight, he  _ had  _ to.

 

Eventually the devil dragged his body up off of the floor and trudged out of the room, sword in hand as he moved to another location on the deserted floor of the hotel since this one was no longer usable. He managed to drag himself into the shower in the new room after he undressed, and turned on the water as he collapsed against the wall. Vergil didn't move once inside, even after the water had long since turned cold. As he stood there under the needle like spray of the icy shower, the devil came to one solid conclusion: he needed to go speak to Nero.

 

The idea was ludicrous, but Vergil didn't see what other options he had. His oh-so-great plans had blown up in his face, and despite his common sense and need for revenge, Vergil couldn't get what the teen had begged of him out of his mind. If he could just tell the brat off once and for all and possibly even deal with him personally, maybe he could focus on taking out his brother like he'd originally planned. As much as Vergil hated to admit it, he also wanted to know why Nero had saved him. After what he'd done to the boy, it just didn't make any sense at all. This was all provided that the teen had even survived his wounds.

 

With that resolved, Vergil finally climbed out of the shower and started to gather himself back together. He wouldn't leave right away though. It seemed wise to keep his distance for now and wait for Dante and those women hunters to leave the shop. Vergil figured it would be best to get himself ready and scope out the situation, so he could be sure they wouldn't be interrupted this time when he finally did approach Nero. He assumed the boy was still alive, since Dante had yet to hunt him down, which also bought him some time to recover from the fight better than he had by sleeping on the floor last night.

 

By the time Vergil finally had his opportunity to visit the shop, two days had passed and he was nearly going insane with the anticipation. He knew that Dante was taking both Lady and Trish with him for this job, which could only mean that Nero must finally be awake. He carefully kept his distance, watching until all three hunters emerged from the shop and slipped off into the distance to go deal with whatever case it was that they'd acquired. The details didn't matter, all he knew was that with the way they were armed, they should be kept busy for a while.

 

Vergil silently made his way into the shop and crept through the darkness, approaching the bedrooms upstairs cautiously. He froze in his tracks when Nero came scrambling out of one of the rooms and into what was most likely a bathroom, judging from the sounds of the boy retching up his lunch. The half breed held his position at the end of the hall for a long while, until Nero eventually came trudging out of the bathroom and back into the room he'd initially appeared from. It was now or never.

 

Silent as a ghost Vergil slipped into the room, shutting the door behind him without so much as a click. He moved into the corner as he eyed the form on the bed, and realized that Nero was about to fall asleep. The devil hissed quietly in frustration that the boy was sleeping again so suddenly, but that was enough to rouse the teen from his rest.

 

Nero's fear betrayed his firm tone as the boy realized it was him and scrambled back across the bed and asked why he was there. The devil didn't answer as he advanced toward the bed, and Nero shot him another snarky remark. Vergil still didn't respond as he observed the teen, taking in his appearance and noting that he seemed to be just fine after the ordeal, well, for the most part.

 

"I see that you're still in one piece," Vergil finally spoke up. He sighed at the growl he received in response and watched the boy fumble around, probably looking for a weapon.

 

"Yeah, well, I'm tougher than I look. You of all people should know," the teen bit back and hurled something at him. Vergil rolled his eyes and easily sidestepped the object, which he realized was a bottle of holy water as it smashed against the wall behind him.

 

' _ Really?' _

 

"….That doesn't work on me, you know. It only really works properly on full-blooded demons," the devil pointed out and snorted. "Though it might sting a little," Vergil admitted in a bored tone. He had to commend Nero though; it was a smart thought, even if it was wrong. But it didn't matter- he didn't come here to pat the kid on the back for being a fighter.

 

Vergil didn't dwell on it, though, as he was forced to teleport out of the way of a strike from Nero's demonic arm or risk being injured before they could even talk.

 

"What do you WANT, Vergil?" the teen growled at him, and Vergil turned his back on him with another sigh. This was going about as well as he'd expected it to, but it would be naïve to think that Nero wouldn't be a little suspicious about his visit.

 

The half breed took a moment to gather his thoughts, preparing himself for what he wanted to say. He had spent the last day and a half waiting for this opportunity, but that didn't mean he was actually ready to have this incredibly awkward and possibly  _ dangerous _ conversation. But Vergil needed some answers, and apparently Nero did as well. The creaking of the bed alerted Vergil to the fact that Nero had gotten up, but the boy was wisely keeping his distance. 

 

_ 'Smart.' _

 

"I swear, if you don't tell me what the hell you came here for then I'm going to kick your ass!" Nero spat out, and Vergil exhaled loudly as he turned to face the teen again. The pair stared each other down for seemingly hours, until Vergil finally spoke.

 

"I came to… talk," Vergil explained, keeping his tone even and calm despite the myriad of emotions now starting to swirl within him. He was stronger than this, he wasn't some weak little person who got emotional and lost control over something so stupid. He would find out the answers he wanted and then be done with the brat, one way or another.

 

Vergil could say that his response was not what Nero was expecting, if the seemingly stunned silence from the boy and his slack jawed expression were anything to go by. The devil would have smirked at it, had he not been so serious about this matter.

 

"Tell me why you did it," Vergil demanded, his gaze trained firmly on Nero's. "You stopped him from stabbing me, and got hurt yourself. Why? I certainly haven't done anything to warrant such  _ concern  _ for my well-being."

 

Silence returned between the pair for a couple of minutes, and Vergil was starting to get impatient for a reply. Just as he opened his mouth to demand an answer, Nero spoke up in response to his question.

 

"Because. I told you then. It's not worth it. I know you hate your brother… that you blame him for everything, but it's not worth wasting anymore of your life on," Nero explained. "I don't know why you blame him for the things that happened to you, maybe it's because he left you there in Hell, but this is idiotic. You're alive… why are you wasting that on holding a grudge?" Nero asked in a softer tone as he sighed and shook his head a bit.

 

Vergil narrowed his eyes as he stared at the boy and listened to his explanation, wondering how Nero knew about that. Not even Dante knew all the details, or even Trish for that matter, and she was  _ there _ for a lot of it. Not to mention that Dante didn't seem like the type even now to speak of such person things, bad blood between them or not. Nero was most likely just bluffing, taking a lucky guess at things that he didn't understand, and the thought  _ enraged _ him.

 

"You don't know what you're talking about. You have no idea  **whatsoever** about what they've done to me,  _ especially _ Dante!" Vergil snarled despite his promise to himself to remain calm. He could feel his self control slipping as this little brat dared to try to tell him he understood. How could he ever?

 

"I  **do** know though, Vergil, I do!" Nero snapped back at him, his fists clenching in frustration. "I thought you were just being stubborn at first… but then I saw  _ everything _ ! I saw Trish, I know you thought it was your mom, and I saw what Mundus did to you…" the teen choked out, looking and sounding as if he was on the verge of crying. "And I heard you when you called out for Dante, but he never came," Nero added in a near-whisper. "It's still in my head… I saw it all."

 

Vergil snarled and slammed his fist into the wall, ignoring the splintering of the plaster as he hit it again and again until a rather sizeable hole was left in the cheap material. He had not expected that from Nero, not in the slightest, and it threw the already troubled demon into turmoil. He hadn't come here to cry or to whine, he'd only wanted a simple answer, but instead Nero had dragged up the most painful memories imaginable for him.

 

"He should have known I was in trouble!" Vergil growled out as he braced himself against the wall with his hands and let his head hang limply between his shoulders, staring blankly at the floor. "He didn't even know it was me, and he fought me so many times…" the devil exhaled shakily. "He  _ killed _ me and he still didn't know right up until I revealed myself," Vergil spat out.

 

"If he had just stayed out of my way back then, none of this would have happened. He could have helped, but instead he ruined  _ all _ of my hard work and destroyed EVERYTHING I worked at for years! Do you know what sorts of terrible things I had to  _ do _ ? Do you truly have  _ any _ idea of what I've suffered since then? So you tell me again why I  _ don't need _ to fight him. Why he doesn't deserve to  **die** for taking  _ everything _ away from me," the half breed snarled as he turned his icy glare on Nero and pushed away from the wall. "Tell me. I'm waiting."

 

Vergil felt strangely exposed as Nero stared at him, and for once the devil couldn't read the expression on the younger man's face. It left him feeling uncomfortable and vulnerable, and when Nero slowly started walking towards him, Vergil nearly turned tail and ran. But before he could make a break for it the boy was already before him, gently grasping Vergil's forearms as if he could sense the devil's plans for flight and wanted to hold him in place.

 

"Vergil… it's not like he set out to hurt you for the sake of hurting you. I know you like to embrace the demonic side of your heritage, and Dante the human side, but he's still your brother. I hate to say it but if you need someone to blame then you need to  _ look in the mirror _ ." The teen stared Vergil down as he spoke, and strangely enough Vergil wasn't ready to argue with him just yet, the words reluctantly striking a chord inside of him, even if it was small.

 

"Do you honestly think Dante fought against you so you could end up in hell as someone's slave? So that he could fight the only family he had left and kill you, and then live the rest of his life pretending not to think about it every day?" Nero snorted at him and shook his head, and Vergil could only grit his teeth together as he was scolded. "Maybe you haven't been around to see it, but everyone knows it's the truth. You should have seen his face when I found the photo he keeps of you two. He blames himself for it, but never  _ you _ . I don't know all the details… but I know, if he could have helped you, he would have, even if all he could do was trade places. He didn't take anything from you… you took it from  _ yourself _ . Yeah, your life has seriously sucked… but shut up and get over it!" Nero snapped at the end of his little impromptu speech.

 

Vergil stared at the boy in a stunned sort of silence as he processed what he'd just been told. No one had ever spoken to him that way and lived, except perhaps his mother and father, but that was so long ago he didn't even remember it really. It hurt to hear it, mostly because those nagging feelings were returning again and the devil hated that Nero was taking his brother's side in the matter, whether he was right or not. It didn't matter how stupid the argument was, because that was how Vergil felt, and no one else seemed to see the logic in what he was saying. Nero could say he understood and maybe he actually did, but it didn't change the past.

 

"He took everything from me. Everything. And then I come here, after fighting and clawing my way back into  _ existence _ to get what I  _ rightfully _ deserve, and what should I find, but he's been all over  **you** too!" Vergil hissed out in an accusing tone. "Yes, I told you to get lost, but did you really have to go and  _ whore _ yourself out to him to get back at me?" the devil growled. "Pathetic."

 

The slap came so fast that Vergil didn't even have time to duck out of the way before the sharp, stinging pain shot through his face. In his shock he was unable to block the punch that followed it either, and fell back onto the floor.

 

"I'M THE WHORE?!" Nero snapped as he clenched his fist again, ready to hit Vergil once more. "You're joking, right? In case you forget,  **you're** the one that came on to me,  _ every single time _ !" the teen roared and punched Vergil with his devil bringer again. "You tell me I'm nothing and then you come crawling back — you're out of your damned mind!" Nero spat out at him.

 

Vergil grunted and climbed to his feet, holding his face as he tried to regain some dignity after being sucker punched twice. 

 

"Whatever. Keep him if that's what you want. You two deserve each other then." Vergil rubbed his face as Nero rolled his eyes and threw out his hands in frustration.

 

"We didn't sleep together, dumbass. I just borrowed some clothes because mine were ruined, and I crashed in his bed because  _ someone _ beat me into a pulp!" the teen pointed out with a dark glare that Vergil thought might actually rival his own. "Is that seriously what you flew off the deep end about? I don't even  _ understand _ you. You can't tell me that I'm stupid and don't mean anything, and then freak out when you see me with another man. It's insane and just plain stu-mmph!"

 

Vergil barely registered moving until his hands were on either side of Nero's face, crushing the teen's lips to his own. He really was out of control, but it was like a huge weight of frustration and betrayal had been lifted off of his chest when Nero told him he hadn't been with his brother. He couldn't change the past, but this was one thing that he had some measure of control over. Yamato was forgotten on the floor as he claimed the younger hunter's lips hungrily; unable to even breathe as he practically tried to devour the boy. His hands slid down from Nero's face to grasp him tightly by the shoulders and he pulled the other closer against himself.

 

The lip-lock didn't last for very long, as Vergil suddenly found himself being shoved back again, though his firm hold on Nero kept him from going too far.

 

"Are you kidding me?! This is  _ exactly _ what I'm talking about! You call me a  _ whore _ and then you try to make out with me. Make up your damned mind, you psychotic bastard!" the teen hissed just as a loud bang made both men jolt and their heads snap to the door.

 

Vergil's eyes narrowed in frustration as he glared at his brother who was now standing inside of the doorway, guns drawn and trained solely on him. Of course he would come and ruin something  _ else _ for him.

 

"Vergil, you really just don't learn," the younger twin snorted. "Get away from the Kid, now," he ordered, and Vergil growled in response.

 

"No."

 

Dante sighed and stepped further into the room so that Trish and Lady could file in behind him. Vergil scowled further, but he didn't release his hold on Nero, which earned a stifled giggle from Trish's direction and raised eyebrows from Lady, all of which he ignored.

 

"I'm counting to three, and then I'm going to start shooting," Dante threatened, and Vergil shook his head.

 

"You'll hit him. Again," the elder brother pointed out, and he was pleased to see the brief look of irritation that passed over Dante's features.

 

"One."

 

Vergil hissed but held his ground, determined not to step down no matter what. Yamato wasn't in his grasp, but he could retrieve it easily enough if needed.

 

"Two."

 

"Dante, please, just calm down and put the guns down," Nero pleaded, clearly not wanting to be in the middle of another spat between the twins. "Look we can all just talk or something…"

 

"No can do, Kid. Let me handle it this time. Vergil doesn't give a damn about anyone but himself, so whatever he's told you just forget it," Dante replied, though his gaze never left his brother's.

 

Vergil sneered at his twin and shook his head, giving him a defiant hiss. 

 

"Come on if you think you can handle me. Fight me like a man and then die like you deserve."

 

The younger twin shook his head and frowned, the look only making Vergil angrier because it was starting to feel like his brother pitied him. He wasn't here for his pity, and he damned sure wasn't here to roll over and give up, so with a determined snarl Vergil pulled Nero closer to himself and braced himself for the fight to come.

 

"Three."


	21. Dissidence

Nero really didn't understand how he kept ending up in these situations. He reflexively gripped onto Vergil's coat, however, feeling a bit nervous since he'd already been caught in between the twins' fighting once already, with disastrous results. Before he could protest further, Dante had reached 'three' and pulled the trigger. The sound of the gun shot startled Nero and he instantly braced for the hit, his eyes scrunched closed tightly, but it never came. Instead the teen felt a strange, weightless sensation and a rush of air around his body. The feeling only last a moment, but when he opened his eyes he was with Vergil in the opposite corner of where they'd initially been.

 

There was no time to question it as another shot was fired, this one striking the wall right next to Vergil's head as he dodged it. The devil still had a firm grip on Nero, and he wasn't sure whether to be comforted or concerned by that.

 

"You're rather reckless with your friend's safety," the elder twin called out, only to receive a grunt from Dante.

 

" _ You're _ the one who won't let him go. Stop dragging him into the middle of this and 'fight me like a man', as you put it," Dante shot back.

 

"When you become a man instead of a worthless piece of trash, then I will," Vergil responded rather coolly, and Nero rolled his eyes.

 

"Will you two shut the hell up?" the teen hissed at them both. He really needed to de-escalate this situation before someone got seriously hurt,  _ again _ \- especially him. Nero was not about to be beaten around anymore because those two couldn't control themselves for five minutes.

 

Dante frowned at Nero as they locked eyes and shook his head. 

 

"Look, Kid. Let me deal with him. You don't know what he's capable of. Just let me—"

 

Nero growled and released his hold on Vergil's shirt. 

 

"No, YOU don't know!" he snapped. "I'm not some stupid little kid who doesn't know anything. I'm just as involved in this as you are!" the teen protested. "If you'd just put the guns down and listen for five minutes you'd see that."

 

The younger hunter held his breath after his outburst, watching Dante with a mixture of hope and apprehension as he waited to see how the older man would react. Yamato was still abandoned on the floor, so at least it would buy them a few moments if Vergil tried to get to it to attack, though so far the elder twin wasn't moving or speaking. Nero was a little afraid to chance a glance at the man's face to see how he was reacting to this.

 

Nero scowled at Dante, and the hunter scowled right back for the longest minute of the teen's life. Eventually Dante seemed to concede that Vergil wasn't outright attacking, and he lowered his guns just slightly. The teen let out the breath he was holding, the exhaustion now hitting him full force as his adrenaline began to wane. These two were going to kill him without even touching him at this rate.

 

"I think… we need to talk," Nero announced once he felt calm enough to continue. His remark earned snorts from just about everyone in the room, Vergil included. Talking it out probably wasn't going to accomplish much, but it was better than this constant warring with one another that was bound to get someone Nero cared about killed.

 

"I have nothing to say to that trash," Vergil replied haughtily, which earned another snort from his brother.

 

"Trash? See this is exactly your problem. You show up and do nothing but attack me," Dante groused back at his twin. "Tell me what exactly I did that you've had it out for me pretty much our whole lives?" he demanded. "Sorry, but I'm  _ not  _ sorry for stopping you when you decided to go on some insane power trip and endanger literally EVERYONE'S lives."

 

"EVERYTHING!" Vergil snarled, his composure clearly starting to crumble as Nero watched him. "You have  _ ruined _ my life in  **every** way." It was easy to see with being this close that Vergil was shaking as he snapped at his brother.

 

"I ruined your life? You ruined your own life! No one told you to jump into Hell," Dante bit back.

 

Nero lightly gripped onto Vergil's shirt again as he watched. Dante was clenching his guns so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. The air was thickening again between them, and the teen was worried that the peace was about to shatter, but they were actually getting it out, so he didn't interrupt.

 

"At least I didn't leave my own flesh and blood to rot in Mundus' clutches as a slave, and then kill him," the elder twin responded coldly.

 

"…Verge," Dante murmured, staring at his twin. "Look. I didn't know. I tried to stop you from going, you know that!" he protested. "You can't  _ really _ think I'd leave my own brother in that situation if I had known."

 

Nero winced as he felt the grip on him tighten uncomfortably, and heard a small growl escape from Vergil.

 

"It doesn't matter," Vergil continued, his expression hard as he glared at the younger twin. "You no longer have a 'brother' to worry about." The elder twin's eyes narrowed dangerously as he continued. "And rest assured, you  _ will _ pay for this. All of it."

 

Nero's gaze quickly snapped to Dante, and it was easy for him to see the utter heartbreak on the man's face. Clearly Dante was not expecting that sort of reaction from his brother, despite them attempting to fight to the death several times already since Vergil had returned. Maybe it was different when you realize your entire family isn't actually dead after years and years, only to have said family completely reject you.

 

The teen really felt sorry for Dante, but before he could speak up and try to intervene Vergil darted out and grabbed Yamato. The devil immediately grasped Nero again and then he felt the same weightless sensation from before as gunshots rang out around them, and the next thing he knew he was in the hall with Vergil. The air swirled around them again and then they were outside on the front steps of the shop. He didn't bother asking Vergil where they were going and instead clutched onto him tightly as they began to move again. It's not like he had the energy to fight back to stay there right now anyways. It was also probably a good idea that the devil not be left alone at the moment, or so he figured.

 

It wasn't until they were a good distance away from the shop that Vergil stopped teleporting them, for which Nero was thankful. He was starting to feel pretty dizzy from the unnatural movements, and Vergil was looking pretty pale himself, though Nero figured that was probably more from exhaustion than anything. They continued their trek on foot, heading back to the run down hotel Vergil had been holed up in before. Nero didn't question it as he trailed behind the older man and headed up to the half-ruined floor where they'd been previously.

 

The pair entered one of the intact rooms and Nero immediately made a beeline for the bed, perching on the edge of it with a tired huff. He was still pretty sore from his injuries, but as he inspected under the bandages he didn't notice any blood or open wounds left over, so he carefully peeled them off and tossed them in the direction of the small trash can in the room.

 

Vergil had taken up residence by the window, glaring out of it as if it held the answer to all his problems. The teen wanted to know what he was thinking, but it seemed like Vergil needed a few moments to himself. Nero watched for a while before he finally sighed and reclined back onto the bed fully. 

 

"Is there anything that will stop you from doing this…?" he asked quietly after a moment. Nero had serious doubts that there really was, Vergil seemed so set on destroying his brother… but maybe there might be a small chance for him to convince the devil to stop his crusade. Nero wasn't sure what was going to happen between himself and the devil, but if he could at least stop this senseless fighting then he could finally try and figure things out.

 

The half breed turned to face Nero, and the teen suddenly felt nervous. It had seemed safer when Vergil was seemingly ignoring him. He'd already been on the receiving end of Vergil's wrath a few times now; he didn't want to add another to the list.

 

"Doubtful," Vergil replied flatly. The man was clearly set on his goals.

 

Nero sighed quietly and stared up at the ceiling instead, contemplating his options. He could beg Vergil all day long not to do this, but it probably wouldn't stop him. Sure, it'd bought a little time for now, but he was pretty sure that the devil would eventually get past whatever had made him react that way.

 

As he lay there, Nero let his thoughts wander to his less violent interactions with Vergil. His hope was to think of something to use as leverage, maybe something Vergil had mentioned in their conversations that would give the teen something to work with as he tried to convince the half devil to give up this vendetta. There really wasn't much, though, when he looked back on it. It was easy to see now how much he'd been manipulated by Vergil. The man was clever, that much was for sure. It was actually embarrassing to Nero how easily he'd been played, but it was too late to dwell on that anymore.

 

Nero was just about to give up and go back to pleading with Vergil when he was suddenly struck with a memory. He'd almost completely forgotten about it, because at the time he had been rather…  _ distracted _ , but it was perfect, sort of. The teen had his doubts about it actually working, but he was grasping at straws here and this was really all he had. It was a long shot, for sure, but Nero was going to try anyways. The worst that could happen would be that Vergil would laugh at him.

 

"Vergil, do you remember, a while back, um… when you were teaching me to play chess?" the teen started, sitting up as he fidgeted with his pants hem in a display of nervousness so he wouldn't look as conniving as he was being at the moment. "And I kept trying and trying to beat you, but I never could?" he continued with a small, awkward laugh.

 

The half devil had turned to face Nero, and the teen knew he had him on the hook. Well, at least to listen to his request, anyways. Nero ran a hand through his hair before continuing.

 

"But yeah, anyways… remember when I finally beat you? I couldn't believe it, you always crushed me but I finally got you." Nero gave a small little grin as he remembered that. He still had his suspicions that Vergil had let him win, but he didn't want the man to know that—it would ruin his chances. "You told me when I won that I could make a request, anything that I wanted, and you would do it."

 

Vergil's eyes narrowed considerably at him, and Nero struggled not to flinch. The teen could practically  _ feel _ the annoyance radiating off of the man.

 

"What does this have to do with anything? You claimed your prize… quite thoroughly, if I recall correctly," the devil snapped at him, clearly uncomfortable with where this was going.

 

"Aaactually… I didn't," Nero replied, trying not to sound too smug. "I never said, 'Vergil please have sex with me.' I kissed you, and you sort of took it from there. I never  _ asked _ for anything," he pointed out.

 

The pair stared at each other for a while until Nero thought he might go crazy from the silence. He knew this was a long shot, and when Vergil responded he was proven right.

 

"So?" the devil finally replied to him. "Is this supposed to sway me somehow? Don't make me laugh," Vergil spat.

 

"Hm, well, I can't say I'm surprised," Nero sighed, keeping up his calm appearance. "I mean, after all, you clearly don't have any honor. I can't expect someone like  _ you _ to keep his word." It was such an obvious bait, but the hunter really didn't know what else to do. Vergil snorted loudly in response as he folded his arms over his chest. 

 

"You can't honestly expect me to fall for that." The devil shook his head and rolled his eyes at the teen. "This is truly pathetic."

 

Nero frowned and shook his head in return at the other man. 

 

"No, what's pathetic is wanting to fight someone because your life didn't turn out perfect. I'm just saying… no one would look down on you or think less of you for keeping your word. After all, you did make a promise, a contract if you will. It would be shameful to back out on that sort of thing," he pointed out. "It would definitely be easier than trying to kill Dante, or getting yourself killed in the process. All that trouble to get back here only to throw it all away. Seems kinda… sad, when you think about it," the teen shrugged. "But hey, it's not my life."

 

The elder male rolled his eyes at Nero's remarks and gave an annoyed huff in response. 

 

"Do tell me what this grand request of yours is then," he requested, though they both already knew what it was.

 

Nero gave a small, wry smile as he stood up from the bed to face him. 

 

"Stop trying to kill your brother. You don't have to make up and be best friends, but just… let it go. Let the past go and stop dwelling on it like it's going to change things." It was reasonable enough in Nero's opinion. Vergil could up and relocate and never see any of them again, if that's what he wanted, but there was no reason for the bloodshed after all these years. The thought of the devil never coming back caused a painful twinge in Nero's chest, but he had to ignore that for now and deal with the situation at hand.

 

"You can't be serious. Do you really think it's so easy?" Vergil bit back. "You told me before that you  _ saw _ what was done to me. How can you stand there and act like I should just walk away from that with no grudges?" he growled. "And to top it all off, as if ruining my life and killing me wasn't enough, he actually has the nerve to harbor  _ that woman _ after what she did to me!" Vergil continued with a hiss. "I can't just look the other way and make up."

 

"But you can!" Nero insisted as he moved closer to stand before the devil. "You can be the bigger person here and just move on. Yeah, what Trish did to you was awful but it wasn't entirely her fault you know. She was working for Mundus. I don't know all the details by far, but I know she helped Dante out and he forgave her. Can't you do the same thing?" he pleaded.

 

"I'm not saying the two of you have to be best friends, but she didn't have a choice in the matter, and you can't hold it against Dante for forgiving her either. Do you really think he'd just up and forgive someone involved in all that stuff without a good reason?" Nero added. "Trish told me a little of it when I was at the shop the last time… I know she regrets what happened. But no one is going to feel sorry for you when all you do is act like a big baby!"

 

Nero glared at the devil as he waited for a response, daring the man to argue with him. He knew he was right, no matter what Vergil said. He understood how Vergil felt, more so now than ever, but this whole thing was getting ridiculous.

 

"You say it like it's so easy to just forgive and forget the people who have taken everything from me," Vergil replied after a moment, his scowl directed full force on Nero. "If you had any idea how it felt, you wouldn't be saying that."

 

"Actually, I'm probably the only one who  **does** have any idea… because I already  _ did _ forgive the bastard who took  _ everything _ from me," Nero replied firmly. "The same asshole who lied to me day in and day out, hurt me continuously, slept with me… repeatedly, and then tossed me aside. Yeah. I forgave him, even though he doesn't deserve it, because I'm pretty sure that deep down, if he was thinking rationally, he wouldn't have acted like such a  _ dick _ . Maybe if he didn't think the entire world  _ owed _ him something because he had a rough life then he would actually take responsibility for his actions and  _ man the hell up _ and get over it. I guess I was wrong though, maybe he doesn't really deserve it and I should let him run off and get himself killed."

 

The silence that followed after he spoke was enough to make Nero feel nauseous. Vergil hadn't responded, only stared at the teen as if he'd grown a second head. He couldn't believe he had even said that. Had he forgiven Vergil? Nero supposed he had, though when, he honestly wasn't sure. He thought it might have been back at the shop when he'd witnessed firsthand just why Vergil was so messed up over all of this. Or maybe it was when the twins were hashing it out and he could literally feel the heartbreak on both sides there. Vergil may never admit it or show it, but Nero had the feeling that the man really didn't want to do this anymore. Maybe at first he did, but now… there was just something that told him otherwise.

 

Yes, Nero could admit that he had forgiven Vergil for his actions. That didn't mean that he was running back into the asshole's arms or anything, but he could be the bigger person here and forgive him. If the devil continued to act that way, however… all bets were off. Nero would let Dante hash it out with his brother and this time he wouldn't try to protect Vergil or ask them to understand. The man was on his own now.

 

Nero didn't know if there would ever be anything built between them again, and he certainly wasn't eager to try, even if his heart clenched at the thought. As it stood, he couldn't trust Vergil. Even if the devil agreed to his crazy request and actually heeded it, there was no guarantee that he wouldn't lash out again or use him like he had in the past. These were all thoughts that the teen decided were best pushed away for right now—he needed to focus on getting Vergil to  _ agree _ first.

 

"Well… what's it gonna be?" Nero finally asked when he couldn't take the silence any longer. If Vergil was going to say no then he'd rather just get it over with.

 

The devil regarded him with an unreadable expression for a few moments before he finally spoke up. 

 

"…He'll never agree to this. None of them will. They're not going to let me just go free."

 

Nero gave a small smile; it seemed like Vergil was finally conceding, though he was clearly making excuses not to. 

 

"Don't worry about them. If I can convince  _ you _ to listen, those guys will be a piece of cake," the teen reassured him. "Just say yes. It's that easy… and then you can start living the life you missed out on," he encouraged. It actually felt pretty good to work things out. Vergil was still in trouble as far as Nero was concerned, and they might not ever actually  _ make up _ and resolve things, but if he could at least fix things even this much between everyone after all the trouble he helped to cause then he would be able to be happy with that.

 

Vergil scowled slightly again and turned to look out the window. 

 

"…Very well. But if he disagrees then honor or not, I  _ will _ dispose of him."

 

Nero did a silent cheer inside his head and tried not to smile too much as he nodded. 

 

"Fair enough. We can go talk it out with them tomorrow and see what the deal is. If they don't agree then I won't interfere and you can do as you please."

 

Vergil didn't respond further so Nero didn't push him, instead settling for the major victory he'd just scored, and he left the man to glare out the window some more and returned to the bed. He was utterly exhausted still, and that had taken the last of his energy, so the teen curled up on his side and closed his eyes. He couldn't stop the smile from creeping back onto his face as he fell asleep though, and he wasn't even worried that Vergil might change his mind and get rid of him while he slept. Something had changed tonight, that much was for sure. Whether it would be for better or worse, he would find out tomorrow. The hunter had a feeling that Dante and crew would not be quite so receptive of this whole idea when it was pitched.

 

For now, Nero was going to sleep and dream about his future after the showdown tomorrow… whether Vergil was there or not, he'd let his dreams decide.


	22. Valediction

Nero felt like shit when he woke up, to say the least. He hadn't slept as well as he'd hoped, tossing and turning the entire night despite his exhaustion. His dreams hadn't helped any either. The entire night he was either reliving the memories he'd seen from Vergil, or his mind was playing out the scenario it was expecting to see tomorrow so that he would have to watch Vergil being killed over and over, though sometimes it was Dante being killed. Either way, it sucked.

 

The teen sat up, rubbing at his eyes with a groan. He glanced around the room as the grogginess started to clear from his head, though he didn't see Vergil anywhere. It wasn't until he heard a quiet huff of air that he glanced to the side and spotted the devil resting with his back against the headboard next to him on the bed. Vergil looked like he was actually asleep, though the position couldn't have been comfortable for the man. Nero was less surprised by Vergil's awkward sleeping arrangements than he was by the fact that the other had actually gotten onto the bed with him to sleep at all. He supposed it was better than being avoided entirely.

 

Nero tried to slide off the bed without disturbing the devil, but the tiny creak of the bed frame was enough to rouse the man and Vergil's eyes snapped open immediately. The icy blue gaze flickered a few times before landing on Nero, as if the devil was silently asking what he was doing. The teen gave an awkward cough and glanced away quickly before he spoke.

 

"Uh, sorry. I was thirsty," Nero explained lamely as he got up fully from the bed and stretched his limbs. He tried to ignore the gaze that he felt burning into his back as he moved to grab one of the paper cups over by the crappy coffee maker in the room and filled it with tap water. Why was Vergil staring  _ so hard _ at him? The feeling made his skin itch, but not in a bad way, and that's what worried Nero. He shouldn't be feeling like this, not after what Vergil did… but he couldn't help himself. This was way beyond typical teenage hormones and fantasies.

 

Nero drained the cup in one gulp and filled it up again as he turned around and took a sip. He nearly spit out the mouthful of water when he saw Vergil no more than two feet away from him. When the hell had he moved?!

 

"Uh, can I help you?" the teen asked after he had stopped choking on his drink from the shock. Nero instinctively took a step back from the menacing devil in front of him, not liking the look on his face. It was too blank, too deceptive. Vergil better not be trying to trick him again, though at least he _ expected  _ that. Something told Nero that's not what this was though.

 

Vergil didn't answer him right away, though his gaze did travel slowly over the teen's body, making Nero shiver just slightly. He really didn't like where this was going. He was starting to feel a bit like a swimmer flailing about in front of a hungry shark.

 

"Um, anyways… I'm pretty hungry. If we're going to deal with Dante then maybe we should eat first," Nero suggested with a hopeful look. His stomach took that opportunity to growl in agreement and he glanced away with an embarrassed flush to his cheeks. He was starving, yeah, but he also just wanted to get the hell out of this room before Vergil tried anything. Nero wasn't sure he would be able to control his own reactions right now- he hadn't done so well the last time Vergil looked at him like that.

 

Nero shifted under Vergil's gaze for what seemed like an eternity before the devil final conceded to his suggestion and nodded. The teen let out the breath he'd been holding and even managed a small but slightly strained smile. The devil was being suspiciously agreeable to him, but Nero decided not to question it and instead was just grateful for the reprieve.

 

The teen hurried over to the door and was half way out when he remembered he was barely dressed in what was left of Dante's pajamas and still short a pair of shoes. Nero glanced back in embarrassment as he awkwardly wrapped his arms around himself as if to hide his state of undress. 

 

"Oh… yeah. I can't exactly go into a restaurant like this," Nero explained as he flushed darker and stared at the floor. The small snort he heard just further served to embarrass him, but the feeling was forgotten seconds later when the coat Vergil had stolen was thrust in front of his face. Nero blinked a couple of times in confusion but he took the offered garment anyways and quickly pulled it on before the demon could change his mind. Vergil was definitely starting to freak him out.

 

If Nero thought things were weird upstairs in the hotel, then he definitely thought things were getting freaky an hour later when he found himself sitting inside a small café with Vergil. Not only had the man managed to acquire a plain black t-shirt and a pair of jeans for him, but he'd also found Nero a pair of shoes and somehow managed to have it all charged to Dante despite not having any ID or money on him. The teen would have felt bad for his friend… but he needed clothes. Nero told himself he'd find a way to pay Dante back later for the trouble when he could—he'd just add it to the list of favors he already owed the man. Stranger was the fact that Vergil had actually trusted him to hold Yamato and not to run off or stab him while he was inside procuring the clothes, and even stranger than that was that Nero hadn't felt the need to do either.

 

Nero really thought he'd reached his limit for completely disturbing things that he'd seen in the last week up until that point, but Vergil's behavior in the café completely took the cake… though it did explain how the man had gotten the clothing so easily. As soon as they sat down the devil had combed his hair down with his fingers so it hung in his face, very much like a certain demon hunter that they both knew. It was actually pretty scary to see, especially when combined with the easy going smile the elder of the twins managed to keep on his face. If Nero wasn't so used to seeing it on Dante then he might not have noticed the slightly strained edge to the grin that Vergil was sporting or the cold look in his eyes, but even he had to admit he would most likely be fooled if he didn't know Vergil so well by now. The waitress clearly didn't realize there was any difference, so when Vergil told her to put the meal on his tab she didn't even bat an eyelash, just chuckled and asked him if he was actually going to pay it sometime this century and then left to put in their orders.

 

The teenaged hunter was beyond uncomfortable listening to Vergil imitating his twin. Maybe it was because he'd been intimate with this man, but somehow the thought of doing _ that _ sort of thing with Dante just made him queasy. The younger of the half devils was more like a brother or an annoying cousin he mused to himself—that had to explain it. It definitely wasn't helping matters that Vergil was  _ so good _ at impersonating the man.

 

"Do you have to keep smiling like that…?" Nero muttered under his breath. He didn't think he was going to be able to eat his eggs and bacon if Vergil kept it up.

 

Vergil seemed to find Nero's discomfort highly amusing and actually let out a small and rare chuckle at the teen's expense, which of course only further served to piss Nero off. 

 

"Do you have any money on you to pay for this food?" the devil retorted, and Nero begrudgingly had to admit that he didn't by shrugging. He wasn't going to justify that with a response.

 

When it seemed like they really couldn't drag out their meal any longer the pair finally got up from the table and made a quick exit out into the street. Nero was thankful to get out of the cafe, he had his suspicions that Vergil was starting to get irritated and that wouldn't mix well with a crowd of innocent people.

 

As the pair walked towards the shop and possibly their doom, Nero couldn't help but to watch Vergil. The man looked so calm as he walked, Yamato gripped firmly in one hand as his other smoothed his hair back to his preferred style. It was almost scary. The teen supposed he shouldn't be surprised though, Vergil was quite the ice prince when he wanted to be, ever the master of hiding those emotions, unlike Nero who couldn't contain himself if his life depended on it. As awkward as it was, and as calm as Vergil looked, the hunter figured maybe they should discuss a few details first before they got there.

 

"Okay… just for the record, they pretty much know everything," Nero started, his gaze flickering away to their surroundings instead. This was still extremely uncomfortable for him to discuss, even considering their circumstances. "I mean, I didn't tell them about, uh,  _ that _ , but yeah… I think the girls figured it out. Dante didn't flip his shit so I guess he's still pretty clueless or whatever." Talk about awkward—Nero wanted to stab himself right now more so than ever before. He could feel the heat burning in his cheeks and ears, which only made the teen feel stupider. "But the rest they know."

 

Nero was forced to stop and turn back when he realized that Vergil had paused in their trek and was staring at him with raised eyebrows. That didn't bode well for him, the teen was sure.

 

"So you didn't tell him that we had sex multiple times?" the half devil questioned loudly, earning them both a slightly disturbed but also curious look from an old woman walking the opposite direction past them. Vergil looked strangely interested in that little tidbit of information, which could only spell disaster.

 

"Shut up!" Nero hissed in mortification as he glanced around to make sure no one else had heard that. He honestly didn't think he'd ever been more embarrassed in his entire life. "It wasn't even that many times, you asshole!" Though technically it depended on which times actually  _ counted _ , but Nero would rather be struck dead than continue this line of conversation.

 

Vergil's quiet chortle was enough to snap Nero's attention back to the task at hand and the teen lunged forward to snatch the devil by the sleeve. 

 

"Just come on," he demanded and gave the older man a harsh tug as he started walking again. Nero was seriously reconsidering trying to help at all, but he still owed it to Dante to try. The hunter quickly released Vergil's sleeve once they were both walking again, not wanting to encourage any of those traitorous thoughts and feelings from earlier that morning to return. Falling into Vergil's trap, whether it was wittingly or not this time, was not safe.

 

Maybe it was a small miracle that Vergil kept mostly quiet for the rest for the rest of their trip to the shop, or maybe the older man was just laughing to himself at Nero's expense, but either way it spared the teen from anymore of the torture of discussing his sex life in public. The pair only walked for fifteen minutes or so, but the trip felt like one of the longest of Nero's life. He was scared, he wasn't afraid to admit that much, but the reasons for his fear were a lot harder to pin down. The hunter was concerned for his friends' safety, but he was also scared for Vergil. The devil had said he would attempt to reconcile, but the man's emotional state was anything but stable, despite his outward appearance of extreme calm and discipline—Nero had seen that much on multiple occasions, and especially last night. If the devil lost control now then someone was definitely going to die.

 

Eventually the shop came into view and Nero felt his heart sink a little. This was going to be it. The teen wasn't sure if he should be thankful or not, but it seemed like Dante and company were expecting them because the whole crew was perched on the front steps, armed to the teeth and watching them expectantly. The pair trotted slowly up to the shop, stopping a good twenty feet or so from the steps.

 

"Um, hey guys…" Nero called out, awkwardly rubbing at the back of his head as he tried to think of something a little less lame to say. "We're here to talk." Clearly that wasn't it.

 

"There's nothing to talk about, kid. Vergil's made it pretty clear what he's after and I just can't let that happen. I've still got things to do," Dante replied with a shrug. The man might have looked just as calm as the elder twin, but Nero could see the tension in his stance.

 

"Yes there is!" the teen insisted, already feeling his irritation growing. "I told you, we're here to talk, not fight… so talk," he urged, motioning between the pair with a huff. This wasn't going to work if he did all the work for them. The silence that followed Nero's instructions was not promising by any means.

 

After a couple of minutes where the group seemed to be at a stalemate Nero was seriously considering just up and leaving the stubborn idiots to kill each other. He couldn't understand why everyone was being so  _ childish _ . He was the youngest in the entire group, but right now he felt like the only one who even cared. Finally, the sound of a throat clearing cut through the stillness and the teen clenched his fists in anticipation.

 

"Alright, Verge. I'm listening," Dante called down to his brother, a dark yet somewhat amused expression on his face. The tone was a bit condescending in Nero's opinion, but hey, they were speaking to each other so it was something. Nero quickly turned his attention to the elder twin, silently encouraging him to do what they'd come here for. He wanted to reach out and give Vergil's hand a squeeze, despite his better judgment, but the teen smartly kept his hands to himself and just watched instead.

 

"You are a worthless piece of trash and I would love nothing more than to slice you to bits and then spit on the pieces," Vergil responded flatly. Okay, that wasn't exactly what Nero had hoped for when encouraging them to talk, but at least they were getting it out in the open.

 

"Aww, I feel the same about you, big bro," Dante snorted back as he twirled Ivory around in his hand. "But you really didn't need to come all the way here just to tell me that, I kinda figured it out on my own, ya' know?"

 

Vergil gave a loud snort and turned his nose up slightly at the other. 

 

"As I was  _ saying _ , you disgust me and I have nothing but utter contempt for you. That being said… I am willing to be the bigger person and spare your life. My only terms are that you stay out of my sight for the rest of your miserable life, which if we're all lucky, won't be all that much longer." If the situation hadn't been so serious then Nero might have chided him for being so antagonistic, but that would be like asking the sun not to shine.

 

"Oh, is that it? Sounds easy enough… but no deal," Dante replied and shook his head with a bitter laugh. "If you honestly think that I'm letting you loose out here again then your head must be a lot more screwed up than I realized."

 

Nero frowned as he realized this was just going to devolve into a fight and he stepped forward to try and reason with the older hunter. 

 

"Dante, come on. I know it sounds crazy but he's not up to anything, trust me."

 

"Trust you? Trust  _ you _ … Kid, no offense but you haven't exactly been giving me much reason lately to think this guy hasn't brainwashed your ass or something. You don't know him like I do. Vergil can't be trusted, all he wants is power and he couldn't care less if he kills us all to get it."

 

"You're wrong!" Nero insisted. "I'm not just some stupid brat, you know. And I'm pretty sure I understand him a lot better than you do, so just back off." The teen glowered at Dante, hating the fact that the other hunter didn't even seem to want to try to listen. It's not like Vergil was asking for much, he just wanted to be left alone, and while Nero didn't actually have any tangible proof or even reason to believe that Vergil wasn't about to try and repeat the past, he just  _ knew _ instinctively that wasn't the case.

 

"Oh, so you know my own twin better than me? Look kid, he lied to you, tricked you, and beat the living hell out of you. Quit defending the guy, you don't owe him shit, no matter what he said to you. You don't owe me anything either, I already forgave you because I know what a slimy piece of shit he can be," Dante shot back and shook his head. "Just let it go."

 

"Don't tell me to let it go!" Nero snarled and stomped up to the steps. "You don't understand anything! Maybe if you'd just listen instead of being a stubborn bastard then you'd actually hear what he's trying to say."

 

"That's enough," Vergil called out to the teen as he followed behind Nero and grasped the back of his shirt, pulling the younger male behind him. "I can handle this myself. Don't waste your breath on this fool."

 

"Tch, ain't that cute? I guess you've got a heart after all, huh Verge? But we all know that's not true so why don't you just get away from the kid and quit pretending like you care, haven't you done enough to him already?"

 

"Oh, not nearly enough," the elder twin replied, the faintest hint of a smirk tugging at the edge of his lips. 

 

Nero nearly choked on his own spit as the color drained from his face. He barely even heard the girls snickering behind Dante on the steps; he was too distracted by his own horror at what Vergil had just said.

 

"…The hell is that supposed to mean? I swear if you keep messing with the kid I'm gonna blow your brains out, no questions asked," Dante snapped, clearly missing the underlying meaning there. Nero wasn't sure whether he was relieved or mortified that the older hunter was so clueless.

 

"It means what it means," the elder twin shrugged and then proceeded to examine his fingernails as if bored. "Hmm, I suppose you'd better pull the trigger then. I can't quite seem to keep my hands to myself where he's concerned... or anything else, for that matter."

 

Nero thought he might actually have died and been in Hell. Vergil, who was so uptight and reserved, was actually  _ flaunting _ their sex life to Dante of all people with next to no shame or regard for decency at all. He knew it wasn't that Vergil was bragging, but rather using the information he had that Dante didn't in order to further torture his twin, but that didn't make it any less embarrassing—especially with Trish and Lady practically dying behind the hunter. Clearly Vergil was willing to stoop this low just to needle at his twin. It seemed like the pair were more alike than they even realized.

 

"What the hell is so funny?" Dante demanded, glaring over his shoulder at the two women who could only laugh louder as they shook their heads. It was such an odd occurrence that no one would have believed had they not heard it from the devil himself; even Nero couldn't really blame them for laughing. He'd be snickering right along with them if this whole thing wasn't at his expense.

 

"Please, just stop it," Nero pleaded as he grabbed Vergil's arm and shook it. "Just shut up,  _ please _ ." He didn't want Dante to know; the thought of what the other hunter would think of him when he found out hurt. He'd probably think Nero was a traitor or disgusting or something, and the teen didn't want to lose one of his only friends.

 

"Kid, what is going on? What's he talking about?" Dante asked as he turned back to him, scowling slightly since everyone seemed to be in on some big joke except him. "Someone better explain."

 

Nero released Vergil's arm in favor of dragging his hands down his own face, wishing he could fall into a hole and disappear right now. 

 

"It's nothing, okay? We're getting off topic anyways," he insisted, but it was clear the elder hunter wasn't buying it.

 

"Hell no, kid. I think we're right on the topic we need to be on. I wanna know, right here, right now, why you keep defending this asshole instead of stabbing the bastard like he deserves," the hunter snapped. "Because after all the shit he's done to  _ you _ of all people, I can't understand why you haven't buried your sword in him a million times already."

 

Vergil smirked darkly at Dante as he snaked his arm around Nero's waist unexpectedly. 

 

"Actually you'll find that it's my sword that's been buried in hi—mmpgh." 

 

Nero yelped in possibly the most unmanly way possible and clamped his hand over the devil's mouth before he could finish that statement.

 

"SHUT UP. SHUT THE HELL  _ UP, _ VERGIL!" the teen screeched as his face flushed darkly. By this point Trish had collapsed on the steps, laughing too hard to even stand, and Lady was leaning against the wall trying to cover her mouth to stifle her own sounds of amusement and failing miserably. He couldn't believe the bullshit that was happening right now. Had these two assholes switched personalities or something? It didn't matter though because it seemed like the damage was done, if the way that the confused and annoyed expression on Dante's face morphed into one of understanding and horror was anything to go by.

 

"Are you fucking  _ kidding me _ ?!" Dante pointed an accusing finger at Nero and aimed Ivory with his other hand at Vergil. "You didn't. Seriously. Tell me you didn't fuck my brother!"

 

Nero shook his head as he tried to think of a way to explain this without upsetting Dante further. How did one explain that they let someone's evil twin seduce them and then continued to do so on multiple occasions while not even telling said person that their brother was alive? They definitely didn't make a card for that. He was so distracted that he didn't realize Vergil had freed himself of the hand over his mouth until the bastard spoke up again.

 

"Technically it was actually the other way around," the elder of the twins pointed out with a smirk, giving his hip a squeeze. 

 

Nero groaned under his breath and closed his eyes, silently begging to be struck down with lightning right there where he stood in Vergil's hold. The bolt never came though, so eventually he had to return to the real world and face his friend with a nervous look. The expression on Dante's face was not promising.

 

The younger of the twins kept looking back and forth between his brother and Nero as if he was trying to make some sense of what he was hearing. It seemed like he couldn't, however, if the way that he holstered Ivory and ran his hands through his hair as he started pacing back and forth on the steps was any indication. 

 

"I can't believe this. I can't believe this shit," he muttered to himself repeatedly, making Nero wince slightly with each pass. He had kind of figured that Dante would take the news badly… but this was still hard to handle.

 

The worst part was not knowing what either twin was thinking. Sure, Vergil had been flaunting their 'relationship', but that didn't mean that he cared, and Dante clearly had many reasons to be upset, but what was  _ unclear _ was which reasons bothered him the most.

 

"Dante, look… I can't really explain it, and I'm not even gonna try. Just know that Vergil means it when he says he's not gonna try to kill you anymore. He just wants to leave, okay?" Nero spoke up, hoping to break the tension and get this thing resolved before it got violent.

 

"Nero, step away from him," Dante demanded as he pulled Rebellion from his back. "Just come over here with us, and we'll make sure you're safe." Nero knew he must have been serious since he didn't call him 'kid', but he couldn't understand what the other man was talking about.

 

"Dante, I don't need you to protect me, it's fine. He's not doing anything." Nero frowned, glancing back and forth between the two.

 

"Nero. Look, I get it, okay? You've had a shit time lately… But you don't have to do this with  _ him _ . Hell, I didn't know he was your  _ type _ , but whatever. I'll take you out to the bar or something, be your wingman, find you a nice guy or something, whatever it takes, so just get away from him before he does anything else to you."

 

Nero flushed again in humiliation and jerked away from Vergil's hold, but he didn't make a move to join Dante. 

 

"Ugh it's not like that, just shut up!" he hissed. He couldn't believe that Dante was actually offering to find him a date to that extreme just to keep him away from Vergil. The teen supposed it was a nice gesture looking at it from Dante's point of view, but that didn't mean that it was right. The idiot still wasn't listening; he was only focusing on all the  **wrong** details. "This conversation isn't about my personal life!"

 

A low snort from Vergil drew everyone's attention, and the elder twin shook his head. 

 

"This has been entirely unproductive. I've already stated my terms, there's no use in continuing this nonsense," the devil huffed. "If you follow me then I  _ will _ kill you." Vergil regarded them all with an icy glare, though Nero was pretty sure he wasn't imagining the way that it softened and lingered when it landed on him. 

 

Without another word the demon turned and started to walk away from the shop confidently. Nero had to bit his lip to stifle the plea for the man to wait; he knew this was for the best and it would be foolish to try and go after him. Vergil had been nothing but trouble for him from the start and it would be safest for everyone to just let him go.

 

Dante made to follow his twin, but Nero's arm shot out in front of his chest to block him. 

 

"Please don't," he murmured, his gaze never straying from the figure that was rapidly disappearing into the distance.

 

"Kid, don't be stupid. There's no way in hell I'm letting him take off with Yamato like that. He's going to do something if I don't stop him," Dante scolded him and shoved his arm away.

 

"Dante, just let him go!" Nero snapped as he sank to his knees, his arms wrapped around himself to protect against the sudden chill he felt. Tears were stinging at the corners of his eyes but he stubbornly kept his head down and fought them back. He wouldn't cry over that selfish bastard. Vergil had used him, abused him, and thoroughly embarrassed him. The man didn't deserve his tears, but he still didn't want Dante to kill him either.

 

"…. Tch, come on, kid. Let's go inside and have a drink. I sure as hell need one right now," Dante muttered and grasped Nero by the arm, hoisting him to his feet. 

 

The younger hunter couldn't hide his surprise at the change of heart, but then he realized maybe Dante didn't actually want to kill Vergil either. Maybe the man felt like it was his duty or something, but the fact that he was letting it go now gave Nero some hope that this was the right decision for everyone after all. Just that Dante was inviting him back into his home after all the shit that had gone down was enough to give Nero some hope. It hurt, even though it shouldn't, but he would be alright, somehow.

 

"Yeah… a drink sounds good," Nero agreed quietly and trotted after the other man. Trish slung her arm around his shoulder as Nero approached and even Lady patted him on the back as they all headed inside. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and the teen could only hope that in time the hole in his chest would start to heal. It hadn't hurt this bad when things had fallen apart with Kyrie, but he'd also had a distraction with Vergil and his dreams back then so maybe he just didn't notice. It sure as hell stung now though.

 

"So Nero… now that everything's out in the open…" Trish hummed teasingly as she steered him toward the couch to sit while Lady flopped in the arm chair and Dante went to grab some beers. "How was he?"

 

The teen hunter stared at her in confusion for a moment until Trish wiggled her eyebrows to get her point across. 

 

"What the hell?! I'm not telling you that!" he huffed and crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly as the heat returned to his face for what felt like the hundredth time that day.

 

"Oh come on… an uptight prick like that… I bet he really lets it go in bed, right? He'd have to if he convinced a cute little thing like you to keep coming back, am I right?" the blonde teased mercilessly.

 

"Please God, kill me now," Nero moaned as he covered his face and sank back into the couch cushions in utter embarrassment.

 

"Actually, I'm kind of curious now, too," Lady chimed in with a smirk.

 

"You know it must have been good if he won't talk about it," Trish pointed out. "Because if someone had been as evil as Vergil was but they were bad in bed, I wouldn't hesitate to spill the beans," she snickered and poked Nero's cheek. " _ That _ good, huh? I think I'm a little jealous."

 

"I really,  _ really _ don't wanna hear this shit right now," Dante groused as he flopped on the opposite side of Trish and sat the bottles down on the rickety coffee table.

 

Nero dropped his hands in favor of reaching for a beer and gave Dante a grateful look. Awkward as it was, he could at least count on the other to have his back and not hassle him about his sex life with Vergil.

 

Dante took a swig of his own beer and shook his head. 

 

"Besides, I've gotta be a thousand times better than that asshole in bed. But you're not my type, sorry kid."

 

Scratch that—Nero was now convinced he was definitely in Hell.


	23. Climax

The weeks that followed Vergil's departure were hard on Nero, to say the least. At first the time had been spent with the four devil hunters searching the city from top to bottom for the wayward twin, but Vergil had virtually disappeared from the face of the earth it seemed. As their search progressed to the neighboring towns and then beyond, it became readily apparent that the devil wasn't going to be found unless he wanted to be. Nero supposed it was for the best; after all, the twins weren't exactly full of brotherly love, and the teen just wasn't sure if he felt safe seeing the man himself and not doing something stupid. That didn't mean that Nero wasn't partly wishing for an opportunity to do that stupid  _ something _ … but he wasn't going to admit that out loud.

 

Eventually, as the weeks drifted into months, Nero and the rest of the crew were forced to admit that the search for Vergil was over. No one had managed to find so much as a stray hair from the man, and it seemed pointless to keep wasting the time and the money to keep digging. As sour as Nero was to accept the fact that he was going to have to suck it up and move on with his life, it didn't quite compare to Dante's frustration over the fact that his brother had technically won. It would have been funny to the younger hunter if Dante didn't spend a full week moping around and jumping down everyone else's throats. The only good part about the whole situation was Dante's overly-long hissy fit helped Nero to forget his own heartache for a while, and he gladly welcomed the distraction any time that he could.

 

In the wake of Vergil's escape, Nero had taken up semi-permanent residence at the Devil May Cry office with Dante for a while. It wasn't completely horrible, even with a moody half-devil around, and despite the shop's decrepit appearance it was actually pretty comfortable. Nero figured the chance to just hang out and be a guy with one of his friends, and the frequent additions of Lady and Trish, was good for him as well. 

 

Eventually the teen  _ did _ decide to relocate within the city, but his new apartment was lacking... something. While rather decent for the price and far away from Kyrie and the rest of his past in Fortuna, the place was just far too empty for his liking. Sure, Nero enjoyed his alone time just like anyone else, especially when the teasing and fighting got to be too much, but when he was alone, he thought about slicked back hair and hands that were far too warm for someone so cold, and it made him want to break something. It was like no matter how hard he tried he just couldn't get the memories to stay where they  _ belonged- _ in the past.

 

Six months after Vergil's vanishing act and Nero thought he was actually doing better with things finally. Sure, he had the occasional dream about the man, but they were just regular, boring dreams. The visions that had plagued him for so long were no longer present, and it was weird to the teen that he sort of missed them. It was a tough situation that Nero found himself in, but the urge to run after the other man was finally fading. On occasion the young hunter caught himself daydreaming up scenarios where the icy devil stormed in and dragged him away, but it was purely fantasy for the very bored and very  _ frustrated _ teen. Nero was embarrassed to admit it but he hadn't really gotten any action in a while, and every time he tried to pleasure himself he just ended up imagining Vergil and the pain just took him right out of the mood.

 

Nero's depressed demeanor over the last several months hadn't gone unnoticed by his friends, and so in what became a sort of Friday night tradition, the teen found himself sprawled on the couch of Dante's shop, pizza slice in one hand and a drink in the other as his friends laughed and joked and tried to take his mind off of things. Tonight was shaping up like any other Friday night, and Nero just hoped he didn't wake up on the roof again, or at least not wake up there naked this time. Trish still had the photos from that one and he was having a hard time living it down.

 

"Come on, Nero… you gotta answer the question…" Trish drawled with a devious and slightly inebriated smirk. "How'd you get him to stop trying to kill everyone, hm? I know you had something to do with it. A guy like Vergil doesn't just have a change of heart because he  _ feels _ like it."

 

" I uh… I dunno…" Nero replied awkwardly, rubbing his face a bit as he tried to fight down the light flush on his cheeks. The night had started off normal enough, but as the drinks came out, the questions had gotten bolder and for the past fifteen minutes Trish had taken it upon herself to grill him about why Vergil had left the way he did all those months ago. Dante seemed a little uncomfortable with the exchange when Nero braved a look in his direction, but the man hadn't interrupted yet so the teen had a feeling that he was curious as well. Lady seemed intrigued enough to prod him to answer once or twice as well, but she wasn't as persistent as Trish was.

 

"Look, we're all friends here. Nothing you're gonna say is gonna change that, if Dante hasn't kicked you out yet then nothing to worry about, right?" The blonde prodded. "So just spill the beans already. We've given you your space for a while, but I think we at least deserve some answers, especially Dante."

 

Nero sighed heavily as he glanced around the room, looking at each of the three hunters in turn. His gaze lingered the longest on Dante, taking in the now tense demeanor that the older man didn't usually possess. The teen didn't really think it was fair of them to put him on the spot like this… or at least he didn't like it. Maybe he  _ did _ owe them some answers; after all, Vergil had readily been trying to kill them before- well, mostly Dante, but still the fact remained that their safety had been in jeopardy. He supposed it was the least he could do to try and explain himself a little. Nero wasn't about to go spilling his most intimate moments with the half-devil, but he could at least try and answer a few things and give them a little peace and closure on the matter.

 

"Well… I mean… it was nothing major, really," the teen shrugged in response. "I'd made a deal with him a while back, he owed me one, sorta… so I called in my favor. I guess he didn't like me calling him out for being dishonorable or whatever for trying to get out of it," Nero explained with a sigh. He really just wanted to melt into the floor right now but that wasn't exactly an option so he swallowed his nerves and pressed on.

 

"I don't really think he wanted to go through with it, not by the time he left… but I think maybe he didn't know what else to do with himself," the younger hunter explained and he glanced around the room at his friends again. Trish was leaning so far out of her seat he was surprised she hadn't fallen on her face yet, and Lady had a look on her face that spoke of boredom but he could tell by the way she shifted on the arm of the couch and inclined her head a little more in his direction that she was listening just as intently. Dante… Dante looked a little pale, almost sick. The man's grip on his bottle of beer was so tight that his knuckles were turning white and Nero was surprised the glass hadn't broken yet. His gaze fell back to the floor as he took a deep breath to calm himself so he could continue.

 

"Maybe I'm wrong, I dunno…" Nero sighed as he shook his head, "but you know, we talked about things, the things that he was so angry about… and, like, I dunno, I think he was just ready to stop. I guess he realized it wasn't worth it since he got a second chance with life. Or something like that."

 

"Do you really think that's true?" Dante asked quietly.

 

Nero bit his lip, venturing another glance up at his friend with a slow nod of his head.

 

"Yeah, I do. I really think it's true," he replied softly as he rubbed at his scaled arm lightly. "I know it's a lot for you guys, but you gotta trust me. I don't think any of you have to worry about him trying to kill you, or opening a gate to Hell, or anything else like that… I think he really does just wanna live for himself for a while. Maybe forever."

 

" Hmm… well, we probably shouldn't let our guard down too much, but I guess we don't need to worry about starting up the search party again or anything," Lady chimed in with a small snort.

 

" Damn, I guess you're not going to get that cute little happy ending either," Trish teased Nero as she leaned over and poked him in the cheek.

 

The teen flushed heavily and swatted her away with a quiet huff of, "As if."

 

"Okay, one… gross. And two,  _ super _ gross," Dante snorted with a gag. "I don't wanna hear that shit about my brother. Hell, who knew the guy even had a damned libido in the first place…" he grumbled as his nose wrinkled at the thought.

 

"Aw, don't be jealous that your ice-block of a brother's gotten more action than you this year," Lady teased with a smirk, earning herself one of Dante's middle fingers raised in her direction.

Nero blushed a little deeper at the banter involving his sex life, but he managed to laugh it off with the girls. It was nice not to be the sole target of the teasing for once.

 

Luckily for Nero, the conversation turned to less serious matters and it didn't seem like anyone was keen to broach the subject of Vergil again for the rest of the night. Eventually the hours grew into morning. and despite the protests for him to crash there the teen decided to head home. He wasn't drunk like the rest of them, and he'd rather be alone while his thoughts drifted back to dangerous territory, lest he embarrass himself in front of them any worse than usual.

 

Nero didn't go home right away after he left the shop. Instead the teen wandered through the city, no real destination in mind as he walked. The sun was just starting to rise, so he headed in the direction of the orange and pink streaks on the horizon. He followed the rising light and eventually ended up on the deserted bridge over the small river on the far side of the town, thankful for the early hour and the solitude it offered. Nero perched on the side of the bridge, letting his legs dangle off of the side as the gentle breeze ruffled his hair. Sometimes he came here to think when his head was full of thoughts that he didn't want to hear, mostly about Vergil.

 

"I hate you," he muttered as he tossed a small rock out into the distance and watched it splash into the river. "I just hate you so much."

 

Nero knew it wasn't entirely true. He  _ should _ hate the man, he really should… but he was only lying to himself in the end. No matter what anyone said he just couldn't stop himself from feeling the way that he did. Somewhere deep inside the teen still held a small spark of hope that he wasn't the only one who felt this way. No… the way Vergil had looked at him right before he left told Nero that he wasn't alone, but the man hadn't returned, hadn't tried to contact him, and had virtually become a ghost. No matter what Vergil might be feeling, he was obviously strong enough to move on, and Nero wasn't- it infuriated him.

 

The young hunter growled to himself and stood up, punching the railing of the bridge with a growl.

 

"I hate you!" he snarled out loudly and whirled around to leave. The breeze kicked up heavily in his face, and that's when he caught it. It was faint… so faint that Nero wasn't sure if he was imagining it or not. He wasn't even sure of what 'it' was, but it was familiar. A scent he hadn't encountered in months, one that belonged to a blue eyed bastard with a penchant for causing trouble.

 

"... Heh, I must be losing it," Nero muttered, shaking his head of the ridiculous notion. Whatever he'd gotten a whiff of was gone in an instant, leaving nothing but the smell of the river on the breeze in its wake. "Definitely must be losing it," he sighed and headed for home. The teen figured he needed to get some sleep and clear his head before he drove himself crazy out here alone.

 

Luckily for Nero he wasn't far from his apartment and he managed to arrive there without any other incidents. He let himself in, finding it odd that the door was unlocked, and quickly locked the door behind himself. He did a quick circuit of his home to make sure nothing was amiss, but not so much as a sock was out of place. Nero shrugged it off, figuring he must have just forgotten on his was to Dante's earlier, and stripped his clothes off before tumbling into bed. If someone was there before they weren't now, so he forgot about it and fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

 

Nero awoke feeling refreshed in the late afternoon, in no hurry to get up and do anything since he had no jobs lined up that day. Eventually he did climb out of bed to go handle some errands and allowed himself to get lost in the bustle of everyday life again. It didn't even occur to him that he hadn't thought of Vergil even once since waking up, and the usual inner turmoil that lurked just on the edges of his consciousness didn't rear its head at all. In fact, the teen found himself enjoying his time alone more than he had in a long time. He didn't know what it was, but he felt at peace for once.

 

A full week and a half passed in much the same manner, leaving the teen aged hunter in better spirits than he had been since he met Dante and the rest of the crew. He knew his friends thought there was something different about him, but he didn't bring it up and they seemed content to leave him be as he was, so still he didn't question it. It wasn't until a few days later that his short-lived contentment hit a wall and came crashing down.

 

Nero was just stepping out of his apartment and locking it up when the feeling hit him. It was a smooth crackle of electricity that ran down his spine, like a slow moving static shock one might get if they touched the doorknob after dragging their feet on the carpet. It was faint, but the feeling caused the teen's head to whip up, glancing around as he became fully alerted to his surroundings. He was alone in the hall of the apartment complex, no one else in sight and there was nowhere for anyone to hide between him and the elevator.

 

Still… there was no denying that Nero was not alone. He tried to shake off the uncomfortable tingling and withdrew his key from the lock, pocketing it so he could withdraw Blue Rose from her holster. The teen stalked down the hall slowly, carefully observing the area for anything out of the ordinary. Before he'd even made it ten feet from his door the feeling vanished entirely, and the oppressive atmosphere that had been squeezing his lungs had lifted; only the calm quietness of the deserted hallway was left.

 

"What. The fuck," Nero breathed out, his heart still pumping hard as the adrenaline started to fade. There was no way in hell he'd imagined that, and to say it set him on edge was an understatement. He was suddenly hit with the same feeling he'd had on the bridge the other week, and it made him feel a little light-headed. Either someone was messing with him for fun… or…

 

_ 'No. Not a chance in hell,' _ he growled in his mind, shaking his head to clear the ridiculous thoughts.

 

"I'm starting to lose it," Nero muttered and holstered his gun. It was the only explanation, after all. There was no reason for him to come back, so Nero figured he must just be making himself sick with stress. And here he was thinking he was doing better.

 

"Tch." The teen grumbled quietly to himself and headed out for the day, determined not to let this nonsense stop him from living his life. So what if he was totally losing his mind? He wasn't gonna lock himself in his closet and cry about it- he had stuff to do.

 

It was hard not to think about the incident in the hall, but Nero eventually managed to push it to the back of his mind and get on with his week. He went on a few jobs with Dante, got roped into carrying shopping bags for Lady (who despite her tomboy behavior was actually quite the shopaholic when she wanted to be), and managed to avoid anymore embarrassing photos from Trish. All-in-all things were pretty normal for the younger hunter, which he liked. Normal was nice… normal was safer for him. For everyone.

 

Unfortunately for Nero, his 'normal' didn't last long, as usual.

 

Maybe it was just his lot in life to be at the center of all the nonsense that went on around here, Nero wasn't sure. He  _ was _ sure, however, that his life currently sucked and he kind of wanted a redo. At the moment the teen found himself cornered by a rather large, nasty looking demon on the outskirts of town in a mostly abandoned parking lot. It was nothing that he couldn't handle… maybe, but this was one of the rare occasions that he'd left Red Queen at home and his bullets didn't seem to be doing much damage.

 

"Come the hell on!" Nero hissed as he dodged a particularly vicious swipe from the demon. It was big, red, and covered in spikes, not to mention the eighteen inch long claws it was sporting. The thing looked a bit like an iguana standing on its two hind legs. Any other day he'd have had his sword on him and taking this thing out would be no issue, but his bullets weren't able to penetrate the scales all that well from what he could tell.

 

The teen aged hunter dove to his right and rolled behind an abandoned car, whipping his cellphone out as he did so. Nero had to jump out of the way again as he jabbed the screen to dial Dante's number, and razor sharp claws tore up the bottom flaps of his jacket as he just barely managed to avoid the demon's attack again.

 

"Come on, come on…" Nero muttered as he glanced over the edge of the dumpster he'd just landed behind. The phone rang and rang several times before it finally went to the cheesy voicemail message and Nero snarled.

 

"Damn it!"

 

Dante was probably still out on his own job —  just his luck. There was no time to dwell on it though as the creature leapt on top of the dumpster and snapped its jaws at Nero. He dodged again and fired several shots at the thing as he crossed the lot and ducked behind another car. It didn't look like the shots were any more effective now than they were when he first encountered the demon, a thought which made Nero groan out loud. How the hell was he gonna get out of this shit?

 

Nero decided his best bet was to get in close and try and shoot it under the chin or anywhere else the scales might be thinner, so he waited for it to swipe again and then took his chance. He rolled under the claws, pushed himself up off of the pavement, and charged in headlong toward the demon.

 

"Eat this!" Nero challenged as he ducked claws and tail and shot off three rounds at the demon's throat. He dipped under another swipe for his head and shot again, this time into the fold of where the creature's left arm connected to its body. Nero thought he saw movement out the corner of his eye, but as he turned to look the demon released a hideous shriek that left the teen covering his ears as he rolled away to a safer position. He glanced back in time to see the thing stumble a few steps and then collapse on the ground.

 

"Yeah… that's what I thought," Nero huffed out as he stood up and dusted himself off. His jacket was in tatters but that wasn't important right now. He hurried over to the demon, kicking it a couple of times to make sure it was dead. He was about to turn and leave when something caught his eye. There something on the back of the demon's neck, something that shouldn't be there. Nero frowned as he leaned in and took a closer look.

 

"... What the hell…"

 

There was a very clean, very precise slash through the back of the creature's neck. The cut was so fine that he might not have even seen it had he not noticed the blood that slowly began to leak out.

 

Nero frowned and glanced around the lot, half expecting to see Dante… but there was no one. The only sounds now were the gentle whistling of the wind and his own boots scraping on the pavement as he spun slowly to check the area.

 

"Yeah… okay… definitely getting the hell outta here," Nero muttered to himself as he took off jogging in the direction of his apartment. He couldn't have been imagining that sword slice, but the demon was already starting to melt into the ground so there was no point in trying to check again. Nero figured he might as well get home and take a shower and try to calm down-there had to be a rational explanation.

 

Luckily for Nero the trip to his apartment was a quick one, mostly because he practically ran the entire way there. Once inside he stripped down immediately and jumped into his shower. The ice cold water didn't bother Nero, it helped to distract him from his racing heart and the confusion broiling inside of him. He stayed there for a while until he felt like he could breathe again, and then he finally turned the hot water on and began to scrub himself clean of blood and grime.

 

When he finally felt calmed and refreshed, Nero left the shower and threw on a plain black t-shirt and some jeans. He wasn't sure he was up to going out right now, not after the weird incident at the parking lot, so he decided to just play it safe and stay home. He figured maybe he would order a pizza and just watch some tv-anything to distract himself from his traitorous thoughts.

 

Nero briefly wondered if he should call Dante and tell him what happened, but the thought was quickly tossed away. There was no need to freak anyone else out when he was probably just imagining things-loneliness and boredom would do that to a person, or so he figured. Besides… if  _ he _ was back, surely Dante would have noticed by now. With that matter settled, Nero flopped onto his couch to order that pizza he had in mind and try to forget his troubles for a while.

 

Several hours later Nero woke up on the couch, a cold slice of half-eaten pizza perched on his chest. He wasn't sure when he'd passed out, but it was dark outside his windows so he figured he must have been out for a while. The teen sat up slowly and moved the pizza to the coffee table, then rubbed the sleep from his eyes with a loud yawn.

 

"Shit…" he grumbled and glanced around the room. He hated falling asleep in the middle of the day and waking up at night, there was nothing good that came with him being awake when no one else was. Nero sighed and stood up from the couch as he stretched. That's when he felt it-that same crackle up and down his spine that he'd experienced before.

 

"Fuck," he breathed out, his eyes wide with apprehension as he surveyed the room. Even with only the television as a source of light he could see well enough to know that nothing was out of place, no one was in the room… no one that he could  _ see _ , anyways.

 

In one swift motion Nero ducked down and snatched up his gun and took up a defensive stance, careful to avoid the window just in case. He slipped through the room, checking every shadowy corner and hiding spot. The teen spared a glance out the window as he went but there was nothing out there but the light drizzle of rain, which made sense being that he was seven stories up. He checked the rest of the apartment, though just as he'd expected he'd found nothing.

 

The tingling sensation spread from his spine and went through his chest, and Nero was left feeling like someone was squeezing the air out of his lungs. He knew he wasn't alone anymore; it was impossible to ignore his instincts this time. The feeling wasn't as scary as he'd expected it to be. Despite the tingle in his chest, Nero felt there was something almost…  _ familiar _ behind it. He held Blue Rose out in front of him with one hand, and the other clutched at his chest lightly as he fought against the sensation bearing down on his lungs.

 

Nero made his way back into his living room only to find that it was exactly as he'd left it. The apartment was empty, and no one was way up here at the window, so that only left…

 

"Outside," he breathed and directed his gaze toward the front door.

 

That had to be it; whoever was stalking him, they had to be there. Nero took a shaky breath and tried to steel his nerves. Like hell he was going down without a fight, no matter who was out there. After a couple of deep breaths the teen advanced toward the door and reached for the knob with a surprisingly steady hand for how on edge he was. He grit his teeth and turned the knob, swinging the door open forcefully as he leveled his gun at the culprit in the hallway.

 

Even though there was always a small part of him that wished for it to be true, Nero wasn't fully prepared for who he found standing in front of him as the door opened. That hair, those eyes… that  _ face _ . If he hadn't been so shocked, Nero might have actually screamed. As it was, he followed his next instinct and pulled the trigger.

 

Nero unloaded at least four shots that he was aware of in the heat of the moment, but the figure in front of him deflected them with ease and left the teen gaping at him instead. He had to be imagining it, there was no reason for the man to return, to show up at his apartment… to want to bother with him at all. He'd made his decision, at least as far as Nero was concerned. That thought actually pissed him off quite a bit and managed to break the stupor Nero found himself in so that he could speak again.

 

"Vergil, what the FUCK!" he snarled, pointing an accusatory finger at the half devil standing before him who was currently sheathing his sword. How dare that bastard just think he could show up here without any warning like they were best buddies or something. Nero was too pissed off now to even feel all that surprised at the moment.

 

"Who the fuck do you think you are?!" the teen hissed. "And why are you here? Where have you been? What the fuck do you think you're doing? I KNOW you've been following me, you fucking creep. What do you want?!" Nero couldn't stop himself, the questions just bubbled up out of his throat with his anger, and he was really struggling not to shoot at the man again.

 

The blank, almost too-calm look that Vergil was giving him was really starting to piss Nero off. He was so angry in fact, that before the devil could even answer, Nero swung out his fist and punched him in the face.

 

"You stupid asshole! I ought to kill you right now!" Nero screeched and took another swing, but this one was caught easily enough. "Fuck off!"

 

The teenaged hunter glared at Vergil and tried to jerk his hand free, but the half demon had a firm grip on his hand. "Let go, now!"

 

"Calm yourself… you'll disturb your neighbors," Vergil murmured as he lowered his arm, taking Nero's hand down with him though he didn't let him go. "And we wouldn't want to involve anyone else, hm?"

 

Nero glared at the man before him and tried to yank his hand free again, though this time he was successful. 

 

"What do you  _ want _ , Vergil?" he demanded with a growl.

 

The look the half demon gave him made Nero a bit uncomfortable, though he wasn't sure what to make of it. If it had been anyone else the teen might have said that Vergil looked almost  _ remorseful _ . But this was Vergil he was with, so obviously nothing of the sort could be true.

 

"Would you believe me if I said I came here to apologize?" the demon asked smoothly.

 

Nero gave a loud snort and shook his head. 

 

"Bullshit."

 

"Hm… well, I figured you might see it that way," Vergil replied calmly. "What if I told you it was the truth, would you believe me then?"

 

The teen narrowed his eyes at the man in front of him and clenched his fist tightly, ready to strangle him. This bastard was out of his mind if he thought Nero bought that.

 

If he was honest with himself though… Nero wanted to believe Vergil, so, so badly-more than anything in fact. But there was no way that the man wasn't just messing with him. He'd probably gotten bored doing whatever it was he'd been doing the last few months and decided to come back to use Nero for a punching bag or something.

 

"I'd tell you to stick it up your ass, Vergil. I'm not gonna fall for that shit this time," Nero hissed back at the devil.

 

Vergil frowned heavily at him, and Nero could practically feel the tension that rolled from the older male in waves. The teen would be lying if he said it didn't make him want to smirk a little that Vergil might just be suffering a little bit.

 

"Well, if you won't listen to me then I'm not exactly sure how to prove it to you," Vergil huffed out at him as he folded his arms across his chest.

 

"Your problem, not mine," Nero replied with a shrug and a snort. "I don't know what kind of shit you're selling, but I ain't buying. So do us both a favor and get lost. Go fight with your brother or something, because I'm officially  _ out _ ."

 

Nero didn't want anymore part in this nonsense. It had hurt way too much trying to bury his feelings on the situation all these months and right now he was really struggling against himself not to do something ignorant.

 

"Nero…" Vergil sighed and reached out toward him. "Just tell me where to start. This isn't easy for me, I've never… well, hn…"

 

The teen took a step back from the outstretched hand as he glared first at it, then its owner.

 

"Never  _ what _ ? Apologized? Admitted that you were a piece of shit and should've had your ass kicked up and down for all of eternity, and it still wouldn't make up for half of the shit you put me through?" Nero shot back and stepped forward again to smack the hand away. "I'll tell you where you can start. You can start by getting the fuck out of my sight. I hate you, and I never want to see you again!"

 

Nero wasn't entirely prepared for the stricken look that flitted across Vergil's face, and for a moment the two of them just stared at each other in a mixture of confusion and pain. Vergil probably wasn't expecting such a hostile reception, and Nero… he wasn't expecting Vergil at all. He didn't want to mean what he said. He wanted to take it back, but that wasn't fair to himself.

Vergil owed him  _ so much _ , it was insane really, to even consider having feelings for that monster. But still… they were there. 

 

Deep inside, Nero couldn't deny that he'd had a connection with the half devil that he'd never had with anyone else. If he took out all of the conniving and evil plotting, and the stabbing, well, Nero couldn't deny that he'd enjoyed himself. It was hard for him to accept that all those times alone with Vergil inside his head had been completely false… and then of course there were the moments here in the real world-the _ intimate _ moments.

 

The stare off continued for another few moments, and just when Nero was starting to think that it might go on forever, Vergil finally cleared his throat and nodded.

 

"Very well… if that's what you wish, then I'll go," the half devil spoke quietly. "For what it's worth, I've had a long time to think about it,  _ too long _ in fact… and I am sorry," he added after a moment.

 

Nero snorted loudly and shook his head, giving a somewhat bitter laugh as he shrugged.

 

"Sorry doesn't cut it. Nice knowing you," he replied tersely and slammed the door shut in Vergil's face.

 

Nero stared at the door for a few moments before he turned his back to the wood and leaned against it. He stood there for a few moments and took some shaky breaths, then he let himself sink down to sit on the floor. He couldn't believe he just did that. He just told Vergil to piss off… the man had come to apologize and he told him to get lost! The very thought made him laugh out loud for a minute, and before he knew it he was crying instead of laughing.

 

It  _ hurt _ .

 

Nero was proud of himself for having the strength to walk away, but that didn't really help him to feel any better in the end. He wasn't sure how long he sat there, though it was long enough for his knees to ache from the way he hugged them to his chest, and for his tears to run dry. The rain outside had stopped as well, and everything was silent. It took him a moment, but Nero crawled to his feet and straightened his clothes out. He wiped his face with the bottom of his shirt and sighed.

 

"This sucks."

 

Now that he'd had the time to let it all really sink in, Nero felt like maybe he'd made a mistake. He wondered if maybe he'd been too hasty in turning Vergil away. What if the man really was sorry? Was he giving up on a possible happy future just because he wasn't willing to listen? But it  _ was _ fair, wasn't it? Vergil had acted too horribly to just get away with a simple apology… but maybe that was the point. He should have made the man stay and beg for forgiveness. Then maybe they could have talked about it… together.

 

Nero growled quietly to himself and ran his clawed fingers through his hair. This was all so complicated! One second he hated the man, the next he was crying over him. Nothing made sense anymore and for a second the teen just wanted to curl up in his bed and never come out again. He couldn't run; whatever decision he made now, he couldn't just disappear and pretend like everything was normal.

 

The more Nero thought on it though… the more he felt like maybe he  _ did _ need to at least hear Vergil out. If he didn't like what the man had to say, he could always leave-that was if Vergil was even still in town.

 

"Ugh. fine!"

 

Nero snatched up his boots and tugged them on, determined to leave now before he changed his mind. He went to grab his coat but left it once he saw it and was reminded how torn up it was from earlier. He grabbed his weapons, just in case, and gave one last look around his apartment as he made his way to the door.

 

Nero hurried out and collided with a solid mass before he even had a chance to look up and close the door. He bounced back from the seemingly solid wall he'd crashed into and stumbled back a step in the doorway.

 

"Ow, what the fu-Vergil?!" The teen gaped at the man before him who seemed to be in the exact place he'd left him when he'd slammed the door in the man's face.

 

"I thought I'd wait a bit, just in case you changed your mind about talking," Vergil explained calmly.

 

Nero huffed loudly and slammed the door in his face for the second time that night. He didn't do it because he was angry, but more so because he was caught off guard and didn't know how to react to that. He didn't want Vergil thinking he was off the hook so easily either. The teen took a few deep breaths to regain his composure and then flung the door open again, only to find Vergil standing in the same spot waiting for him.

 

"This is going well," Vergil spoke up once they'd made eye contact.

 

"Shut up!" Nero snapped back at him with a light flush.

 

He felt a bit foolish now that he thought about it. He took a moment to let his gaze rove over the other man, taking in his appearance fully now that he wasn't so distracted. As usual, the bastard looked good — deep blue shirt, black slacks, boots, and a black peacoat. Nero briefly wondered if the other man had charged the clothes to Dante again, and the thought drew forth a small quirk of the lips from him, though he quickly hid it.

 

"Shut up," Nero repeated sharply even though Vergil didn't say anything. "You have a lot of explaining to do… don't expect me to just forgive you and play nice," he continued as he glared at the half devil. "You're on thin ice, so don't try any shit either."

 

"I wouldn't dream of it," Vergil replied and inclined his head slightly in agreement to the terms.

 

"Just… shut up and get in here, before I change my mind!" the younger of the two snapped. Nero reached out, snatched Vergil by the collar, and dragged him inside as he slammed the door shut after them.

 

"And you can  _ start _ your apology by giving me a foot rub!"

 

Yeah, this was going to be a long night, and Nero would be damned if he didn’t get some enjoyment out of it one way or another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp, that's it, I finally finished posting it here. I said a few years ago I might write an epilogue and I never did it, lol. Maybe later, I really need to update some other fics -- but if it's something anyone's interested in, hit me up and let me know! Thanks so much for taking the time to read!


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